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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spring — of water
  4. can — to be able to
  5. spring — the season
  6. bear — the animal
  7. season — in sport
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. season — of the year
  10. land — to come down
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spring — a coil
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. land — ground
  17. bear — the animal
  18. net — after costs
  19. land — a country
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. last — final
  22. can — a tin
  23. net — for catching
  24. can — a tin

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