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: file · can · swing · stick · spring · mate · hide · bore

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. can — a tin
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bore — to drill
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. swing — music
  9. can — a tin
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. file — a document
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. spring — of water
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. file — a tool
  24. can — to be able to

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