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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. spring — the season
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ground — the earth
  6. staff — employees
  7. bank — for money
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — an amount
  11. ground — crushed
  12. land — to come down
  13. season — of the year
  14. land — a country
  15. ground — a position
  16. season — in sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bank — for money
  20. land — ground
  21. degree — temperature
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bank — of a river
  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