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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ball — a great time
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spring — of water
  7. rest — a break
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. can — a tin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. root — of a plant
  15. hand — help
  16. root — the cause
  17. spring — a coil
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spring — the season
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. land — a country
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. root — of a word

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