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 120 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cell — a phone
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mine — for digging
  5. key — in music
  6. spring — the season
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. spring — a coil
  9. cell — in biology
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stock — shares
  14. bear — the animal
  15. firm — a company
  16. craft — boats
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. spring — of water
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. stock — goods
  24. key — for a lock

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