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 120 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bulb — for light
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. tube — a container
  8. chair — a leader
  9. spring — the season
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wax — to grow
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. cue — a hint
  16. staff — a stick
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. staff — employees
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. staff — employees
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cue — a signal
  24. fork — in a road

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