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: safe · bark · can · spring · chair · field · swing · spell

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. bark — to shout
  7. can — to be able to
  8. spring — of water
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. swing — to play on
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. can — a tin
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. spell — letters
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chair — a leader
  21. field — a subject
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. spell — magic

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