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 124 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. game — a match
  2. spring — the season
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. spring — a coil
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. game — wild animals
  18. band — a music group
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. toast — bread
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. spring — of water
  23. hide — animal skin
  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