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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. march — the month
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. row — a line
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mate — a friend
  9. march — the month
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. spell — magic
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spring — of water
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. march — music
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. spell — letters
  24. row — to paddle

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