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 116 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fork — in a road
  4. hand — in cards
  5. spring — a coil
  6. hand — help
  7. court — of a king
  8. pop — soda
  9. spring — the season
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pop — music
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a ring
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pop — to visit
  23. spring — of water
  24. pass — a permit

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