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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. spring — a coil
  3. staff — employees
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fall — the season
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. staff — employees
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fall — to drop
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mate — a friend
  19. branch — a division
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cue — a signal
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mine — belonging to me

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