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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. game — a match
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. suit — in cards
  5. game — wild animals
  6. squash — the sport
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. spring — of water
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — to fit
  11. spring — a coil
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. swing — music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. lie — to recline
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. swing — in golf
  24. squash — to crush

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