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 120 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: craft · mine · cap · suit · spring · band · cue · leaves

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cap — a hat
  4. suit — in cards
  5. mine — for digging
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cue — for pool
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cue — a signal
  16. suit — clothes
  17. band — a music group
  18. spring — the season
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cap — a lid
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. spring — of water
  23. cue — a hint
  24. band — a ring

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