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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. can — a tin
  4. last — finally
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. shower — rain
  7. spring — a coil
  8. last — final
  9. bark — to shout
  10. last — to go on
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. can — a tin
  13. degree — an amount
  14. charge — a price
  15. degree — temperature
  16. spring — of water
  17. cell — in biology
  18. can — to be able to
  19. degree — from a university
  20. cell — a phone
  21. shower — to wash
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. charge — in control

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