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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · bank · mine · spring · fan · bear · net · squash

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mate — a friend
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bank — for money
  7. net — for catching
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bear — the animal
  11. net — after costs
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spring — a coil
  15. net — in sport
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bank — for money
  20. squash — the sport
  21. spring — of water
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mine — belonging to me

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