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: club · pit · spring · season · mine · lie · band · mark

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. band — a ring
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. band — a music group
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. season — of the year
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mark — a grade
  18. spring — the season
  19. pit — a hole
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. spring — of water
  22. lie — to recline
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. club — a group

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