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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pass — a permit
  3. drill — a practice
  4. key — the most important part
  5. spring — a coil
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. lean — to bend
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ball — a dance
  12. drill — army training
  13. key — for a lock
  14. lean — thin
  15. band — a music group
  16. drill — the tool
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ball — a great time
  19. band — a ring
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. spring — of water
  22. key — in music
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pass — to spend time

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