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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. spring — a coil
  5. root — of a plant
  6. spring — of water
  7. root — the cause
  8. tube — a container
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. season — in sport
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rest — what's left
  18. root — of a word
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. spring — the season
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. tube — in a tire

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