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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. spring — the season
  2. staff — employees
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. prune — to trim
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. net — in sport
  8. wound — an injury
  9. staff — employees
  10. net — for catching
  11. wound — an injury
  12. key — in music
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. spring — a coil
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. snap — to click
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. net — after costs
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. key — for a lock
  23. prune — to trim
  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