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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. wake — a trail
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. chair — a leader
  5. spring — the season
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. season — in sport
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. season — of the year
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spring — a coil
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fork — a garden tool

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