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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. clip — to cut
  3. season — in sport
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rush — hurry
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. firm — a company
  12. clip — a video
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. clip — for paper
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. spring — the season
  21. craft — boats
  22. season — of the year
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bowl — a football final

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