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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. staff — employees
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tube — a container
  7. staff — employees
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. scale — size or range
  12. branch — a division
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. staff — a stick
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. squash — to crush
  18. tube — the underground
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lie — to recline
  21. spring — of water
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. scale — in music

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