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: spring · sharp · suit · mate · swing · prune · racket · season

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. suit — to fit
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mate — to breed
  7. season — of the year
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. season — in sport
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mate — a partner
  18. swing — to play on
  19. prune — to trim
  20. suit — clothes
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mate — a friend
  24. sharp — clever

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