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: pit · lean · patient · pound · cap · lie · bowl · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cap — a lid
  5. spring — of water
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. lean — thin
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cap — of ice
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pit — in a race
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cap — a hat
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. spring — a coil

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