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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fine — all right
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fine — high quality
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. firm — decided
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mate — a friend
  13. spring — of water
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. prune — to trim
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. ball — a dance
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. spring — the season

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