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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spring — a coil
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. spring — the season
  6. pass — a permit
  7. squash — to crush
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. spell — a short time
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bound — tied together
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. spring — of water
  15. bound — obliged
  16. spell — letters
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bound — certain
  24. trunk — of a tree

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