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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. spring — the season
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pitch — completely
  8. field — for sport
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spring — a coil
  12. net — in sport
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. net — after costs
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bass — the fish
  17. net — for catching
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. spring — of water
  20. bass — low music
  21. spell — letters
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. pitch — a sports field

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