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: spring · chair · coach · sharp · pound · bulb · ball · hide

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spring — a coil
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pound — a weight
  18. sharp — clever
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ball — a great time
  24. chair — a leader

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