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: cell · pass · spring · pound · season · wax · leaves · saw

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. season — in sport
  3. spring — of water
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cell — a phone
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. saw — the tool
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pound — a weight
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. spring — the season
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. season — of the year

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