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: coach · prune · spring · mouse · craft · present · racket · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spring — of water
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spring — the season
  9. present — a gift
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. craft — a skill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. present — there
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spring — a coil
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. craft — boats
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. present — the time now

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