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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. spring — of water
  4. content — the amount
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. key — the most important part
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. key — in music
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. content — happy
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pass — a permit
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. key — for a lock
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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