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: court · press · spring · swing · bark · firm · mine · safe

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. firm — decided
  5. bark — to shout
  6. swing — music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. court — for sport
  9. spring — of water
  10. press — a publisher
  11. firm — a company
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. spring — the season
  14. swing — to play on
  15. firm — steady
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. court — of a king
  19. swing — in golf
  20. spring — a coil
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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