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: rash · club · bear · spell · track · stand · pop · spring

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. spell — magic
  6. pop — music
  7. club — a group
  8. rash — hasty
  9. club — for dancing
  10. spring — of water
  11. track — a song
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. track — a path
  16. spell — letters
  17. track — to keep track
  18. spring — the season
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. rash — a series
  22. club — for golf
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spell — a short time

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