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 124 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. present — the time now
  3. spring — the season
  4. court — of a king
  5. bear — the animal
  6. court — of law
  7. present — there
  8. mate — to breed
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. court — for sport
  13. present — a gift
  14. land — a country
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bear — the animal
  18. spring — of water
  19. mate — a partner
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. land — to come down
  23. lean — thin
  24. spring — a coil

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