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: dip · club · wound · ball · spring · key · tear · season

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wound — an injury
  3. season — of the year
  4. club — for golf
  5. spring — of water
  6. ball — a dance
  7. spring — a coil
  8. key — the most important part
  9. club — a group
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. tear — from crying
  15. spring — the season
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. key — in music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. key — for a lock
  20. dip — to sink
  21. ball — a great time
  22. club — for dancing
  23. season — in sport
  24. tear — to rip

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