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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. cell — in biology
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. spring — of water
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rest — what's left
  9. season — of the year
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rest — what's left
  12. season — in sport
  13. tube — a container
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rest — a break
  17. cell — a phone
  18. spring — the season
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rush — hurry
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. tube — the underground
  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