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: snap · cap · ball · rest · object · spring · patient · branch

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cap — a hat
  5. object — to protest
  6. branch — a division
  7. object — a thing
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — of water
  10. ball — a great time
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. object — an aim
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. snap — to click
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rest — a break
  19. spring — a coil
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. cap — of ice
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ball — a dance

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