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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. can — a tin
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lean — to bend
  7. field — for sport
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wake — a trail
  12. lean — thin
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rash — a series
  15. can — a tin
  16. spring — a coil
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. spring — the season
  20. field — farmland
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rash — hasty
  24. field — a subject

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