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: bear · net · stick · fine · cue · kid · spring · coach

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fine — all right
  3. net — after costs
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. spring — of water
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. net — in sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. net — for catching
  15. spring — a coil
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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