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 116 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. wound — an injury
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. spring — the season
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wound — an injury
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. squash — to crush
  10. season — in sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. season — of the year
  14. field — farmland
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — to rob
  20. spring — a coil
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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