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: field · wake · season · current · cabinet · dip · spring · plane

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. plane — a tool
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. season — of the year
  7. spring — a coil
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. spring — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. field — for sport
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. spring — the season
  24. cabinet — ministers

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