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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. band — a music group
  3. rush — hurry
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ground — a position
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ground — crushed
  13. game — wild animals
  14. band — a ring
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ground — the earth
  19. spring — a coil
  20. game — a match
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. hand — help

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