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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bass — low music
  6. spring — a coil
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. spring — the season
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bass — the fish
  16. spring — of water
  17. season — of the year
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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