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: spring · can · hide · season · plane · ground · tear · craft

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. ground — crushed
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. tear — to rip
  5. can — to be able to
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. tear — from crying
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. ground — the earth
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. spring — a coil
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tear — from crying
  15. craft — a skill
  16. can — a tin
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. ground — a position
  19. spring — the season
  20. season — in sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. spring — of water
  24. plane — a tool

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