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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mate — a partner
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mate — to breed
  9. object — an aim
  10. shower — to wash
  11. object — a thing
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spring — of water
  16. root — of a plant
  17. degree — an amount
  18. spring — a coil
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mate — a friend
  21. object — to protest
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. degree — temperature

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