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: charge · mine · spring · march · jam · lie · bear · spell

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spell — magic
  6. spring — of water
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. charge — a price
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — in control
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mine — for digging
  16. march — the month
  17. charge — electricity
  18. spell — a short time
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. spell — letters
  22. bear — the animal
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — a tight spot

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