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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spring — a coil
  4. tube — the underground
  5. march — the month
  6. tube — a container
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. chip — for betting
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. track — to keep track
  14. spring — of water
  15. root — the cause
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. root — of a word
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. spring — the season
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. root — of a plant
  24. chip — to eat

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