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: rush · toast · racket · spring · mate · spell · sharp · jam

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. spell — magic
  4. spring — the season
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. mate — to breed
  7. toast — bread
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. spring — of water
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mate — a friend
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rush — hurry
  20. spell — a short time
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. racket — for tennis
  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