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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. root — of a word
  6. face — to point toward
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pop — soda
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spring — of water
  11. band — a music group
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pop — music
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. face — part of the head
  16. staff — employees
  17. face — to confront
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. root — the cause
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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