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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. ground — crushed
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stock — shares
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. spring — a coil
  10. snap — to click
  11. saw — the tool
  12. spring — of water
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ground — a position
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. ground — the earth
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stock — goods
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bound — tied together
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bound — certain

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