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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spring — the season
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. spring — of water
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. can — a tin
  7. scale — size or range
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. scale — in music
  10. pitch — completely
  11. can — to be able to
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. march — the month
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. march — music
  20. season — of the year
  21. march — the month
  22. spring — a coil
  23. season — in sport
  24. hide — animal skin

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