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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. drill — the tool
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. saw — the tool
  6. march — the month
  7. spring — of water
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. drill — army training
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. squash — the sport
  14. ball — a great time
  15. march — the month
  16. ball — a dance
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. foot — a measure
  20. march — music
  21. spring — a coil
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — to crush
  24. drill — a practice

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