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: game · fine · object · lie · saw · rock · row · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fine — all right
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. saw — the tool
  6. row — a line
  7. object — an aim
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. fine — high quality
  11. row — to paddle
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spring — the season
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. game — a match
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. spring — of water

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