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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. spring — a coil
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. chair — a leader
  13. shower — rain
  14. key — for a lock
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rush — hurry
  21. band — a ring
  22. spring — of water
  23. band — a music group
  24. spring — the season

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