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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. fork — in a road
  3. spring — a coil
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. mark — a grade
  7. spring — the season
  8. cold — not warm
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. spring — of water
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cold — an illness
  24. band — a ring

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