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

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. land — to come down
  3. rash — a series
  4. track — to keep track
  5. spring — of water
  6. staff — employees
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. staff — a stick
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. staff — employees
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rash — hasty
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. track — a path
  16. land — a country
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. spring — the season
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — bread
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. land — ground
  23. track — a song
  24. arm — a part of something

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