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: swing · board · mug · season · spring · shower · branch · sharp

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. spring — of water
  4. mug — a face
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. board — a committee
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. spring — a coil
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. spring — the season
  14. season — in sport
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mug — a cup
  19. board — to get on
  20. branch — a division
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mug — to rob

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