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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. ball — a great time
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spell — letters
  8. field — farmland
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — thin
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. game — a match
  13. spring — of water
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. spell — magic
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bowl — to roll

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