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: mark · bear · spring · bank · fan · wind · last · leaves

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. spring — the season
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bank — for money
  12. last — final
  13. bank — of a river
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. last — finally
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spring — of water
  23. last — to go on
  24. leaves — of a tree

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