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: march · spring · saw · sharp · bulb · season · foot · content

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. spring — of water
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. sharp — clever
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. march — the month
  9. foot — a measure
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. content — happy
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. spring — a coil
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. spring — the season
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. content — the amount

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