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 116 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: staff · spring · chair · spell · bulb · bass · mine · ruler

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bulb — for light
  5. staff — employees
  6. spring — the season
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spring — of water
  9. staff — a stick
  10. spell — letters
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bass — low music
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. spring — a coil
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bass — the fish
  21. spell — magic
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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