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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. field — for sport
  3. mug — to rob
  4. field — farmland
  5. mug — a face
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. season — in sport
  9. drill — the tool
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. drill — a practice
  16. spring — the season
  17. drill — army training
  18. spring — of water
  19. mug — a cup
  20. field — a subject
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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