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: fine · bulb · spring · cell · cabinet · swing · key · staff

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bulb — for light
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cell — a phone
  10. spring — of water
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spring — a coil
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. swing — music
  17. staff — employees
  18. bulb — for light
  19. swing — to play on
  20. key — in music
  21. cell — in biology
  22. fine — all right
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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