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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bear — the animal
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lean — thin
  9. spring — of water
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. hand — in cards
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. hand — help
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lean — to bend
  21. squash — to crush
  22. spring — the season
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bear — the animal

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