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: can · spring · bear · rush · stick · hand · foot · land

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. land — a country
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rush — hurry
  7. land — to come down
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. can — a tin
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. can — to be able to
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. spring — of water
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. can — a tin
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. land — ground
  24. spring — the season

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