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: net · spring · rash · court · rush · fall · bore · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rash — a series
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. court — of a king
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. net — after costs
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rash — hasty
  16. spring — the season
  17. bore — to tire
  18. court — for sport
  19. fall — to drop
  20. court — of law
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — a coil
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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