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: mine · can · spell · season · spring · cabinet · bore · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. spell — magic
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. season — in sport
  10. bore — to drill
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. spell — letters
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. can — a tin
  20. shower — rain
  21. bore — to tire
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  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