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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. shower — to wash
  3. spring — of water
  4. object — a thing
  5. present — a gift
  6. spring — the season
  7. band — a music group
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. present — there
  14. spring — a coil
  15. object — to protest
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. can — a tin
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a ring
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — tied together
  23. present — the time now
  24. shower — rain

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