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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rule — government
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. spring — the season
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. game — a match
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rule — a law
  17. tube — a container
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rock — a stone
  20. staff — employees
  21. rock — music
  22. staff — employees
  23. spring — a coil
  24. fork — a garden tool

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