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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. charge — a price
  3. spring — the season
  4. rush — hurry
  5. root — of a plant
  6. game — wild animals
  7. band — a music group
  8. charge — in control
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stand — to bear
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. charge — electricity
  13. band — a ring
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. root — the cause
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. root — of a word

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