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 120 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: mine · craft · fall · spring · club · leaves · root · charge

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. spring — a coil
  2. mine — for digging
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. club — for dancing
  6. charge — in control
  7. club — for golf
  8. fall — the season
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fall — to drop
  12. charge — electricity
  13. root — of a word
  14. fall — to drop
  15. charge — a price
  16. root — the cause
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. root — of a plant
  22. craft — boats
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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