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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. spell — magic
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. spring — of water
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — letters
  17. net — after costs
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chip — to eat
  20. spring — a coil
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. game — a match
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. spell — a short time

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