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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spring — of water
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bass — low music
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. root — of a word
  8. bound — obliged
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rash — a series
  12. root — the cause
  13. last — finally
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bass — the fish
  16. last — to go on
  17. spring — a coil
  18. last — final
  19. spring — the season
  20. rash — hasty
  21. drill — army training
  22. bound — certain
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bound — tied together

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