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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. firm — a company
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. firm — decided
  7. craft — boats
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rock — music
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stock — shares
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. firm — steady
  15. spring — the season
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stock — goods
  21. row — a line
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. row — to paddle
  24. jam — a tight spot

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