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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fork — in a road
  4. spring — the season
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. tube — a container
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. tube — the underground
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bear — the animal

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