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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. tube — a container
  4. drill — the tool
  5. court — for sport
  6. rule — a law
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. bulb — for light
  10. spring — a coil
  11. court — of a king
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rule — government
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. court — of law
  18. rule — to rule out

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