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 120 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. band — a music group
  3. spring — a coil
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. band — a ring
  7. ground — a position
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spring — of water
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pit — in a race
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pit — a hole
  19. chip — for betting
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stand — to bear
  24. ground — the earth

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