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: season · club · wave · wind · prune · spring · pit · racket

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. pit — in a race
  4. club — a group
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. spring — the season
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. club — for golf
  12. season — of the year
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. season — in sport
  16. club — for dancing
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving 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