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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. rash — a series
  2. spring — of water
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bound — obliged
  6. staff — employees
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cold — not warm
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bound — certain
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — a coil
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cold — an illness
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. spring — the season
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rash — hasty
  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