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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. net — in sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. net — after costs
  8. current — electric
  9. capital — money
  10. face — to confront
  11. tube — the underground
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. spring — the season
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. tube — a container
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. net — for catching
  19. capital — a city
  20. current — happening now
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. spring — a coil
  23. current — of water
  24. face — part of the head

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