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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. scale — size or range
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bank — for money
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. ball — a great time
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. scale — in music
  13. ball — a dance
  14. spring — the season
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bank — for money
  23. tube — a container
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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