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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fall — the season
  3. drill — army training
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. spring — a coil
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cap — a hat
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pop — soda
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spring — of water
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bore — to drill
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cap — a lid
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cap — of ice

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