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: mug · spell · chip · spring · toast · snap · wound · bulb

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. spell — magic
  4. spring — the season
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spell — a short time
  10. toast — bread
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. chip — for betting
  14. spring — of water
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mug — a face
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. wound — an injury
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. spring — a coil
  21. snap — to click
  22. chip — to eat
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. spell — letters

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