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: bat · stock · season · spring · bear · drill · bound · swing

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. swing — music
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bat — the animal
  7. stock — goods
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bear — the animal
  12. swing — in golf
  13. spring — the season
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bound — certain
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. swing — to play on
  21. drill — a practice
  22. spring — of water
  23. stock — shares
  24. drill — the tool

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