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: roll · spring · mate · bulb · fan · fork · court · chip

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. spring — the season
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. roll — a list
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mate — a friend
  13. roll — a cake
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. fork — in a road
  19. court — of a king
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. court — of law
  22. spring — of water
  23. chip — for betting
  24. court — for sport

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