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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rock — a stone
  5. can — a tin
  6. staff — employees
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rock — music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. can — to be able to
  13. saw — the tool
  14. field — for sport
  15. sharp — clever
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. spring — the season
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. field — a subject
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. staff — employees
  23. field — farmland
  24. spring — of water

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