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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. spring — of water
  3. scale — size or range
  4. root — of a word
  5. last — finally
  6. season — of the year
  7. drill — a practice
  8. scale — in music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. root — the cause
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. spring — the season
  17. ball — a great time
  18. drill — army training
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. season — in sport
  21. ball — a dance
  22. root — of a plant
  23. spring — a coil
  24. ruler — a monarch

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