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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bulb — for light
  10. swing — to play on
  11. spell — magic
  12. swing — music
  13. firm — decided
  14. spring — of water
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. capital — money
  17. firm — a company
  18. saw — the tool
  19. capital — a city
  20. swing — in golf
  21. spell — a short time
  22. firm — steady
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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