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: spring · fan · content · season · swing · plane · patient · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. content — happy
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. plane — a tool
  14. spring — of water
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. swing — music
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fan — to cool the air

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