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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. track — to keep track
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lean — thin
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. tube — a container
  7. spring — of water
  8. cell — in biology
  9. spring — the season
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. tube — the underground
  18. track — a song
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cap — of ice
  21. track — a path
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. key — in music
  24. cell — in a prison

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