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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. spring — of water
  4. bank — for money
  5. present — the time now
  6. bass — low music
  7. bank — for money
  8. present — there
  9. bass — the fish
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. net — in sport
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bank — of a river
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. present — a gift
  23. ground — a position
  24. spring — a coil

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