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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. land — to come down
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bound — obliged
  8. press — a publisher
  9. spring — a coil
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bound — certain
  12. land — a country
  13. bound — tied together
  14. spring — the season
  15. press — to push
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. land — ground
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. cue — for pool
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. plane — a tool

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