ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. present — a gift
  3. field — a subject
  4. present — there
  5. spell — magic
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. spell — a short time
  8. charge — in control
  9. field — farmland
  10. net — for catching
  11. spring — of water
  12. net — in sport
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — a price
  15. present — the time now
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spell — letters
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. spring — a coil
  22. field — for sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com