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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. hand — in cards
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hand — help
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wound — an injury
  16. march — music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spring — of water

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