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: deal · current · court · date · spring · bark · object · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. court — for sport
  3. spring — of water
  4. court — of law
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. current — of water
  8. object — an aim
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. spring — the season
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mate — to breed
  14. current — happening now
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mate — a partner
  17. current — electric
  18. object — a thing
  19. court — of a king
  20. object — to protest
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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