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: stick · can · spell · mug · spring · field · hand · leaves

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. field — for sport
  4. spell — letters
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. field — farmland
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hand — in cards
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. mug — a cup
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. field — a subject
  23. hand — help
  24. spring — the season

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