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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. spring — the season
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bound — obliged
  5. spring — of water
  6. shower — to wash
  7. chip — to eat
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bound — certain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. shower — rain
  19. branch — a division
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. suit — clothes
  23. spring — a coil
  24. chip — for betting

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