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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. track — a path
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. capital — a city
  9. pass — a permit
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. track — a song
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. land — a country
  16. spring — of water
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. capital — money
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mouse — for a computer

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