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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. key — in music
  5. ground — a position
  6. spring — the season
  7. key — for a lock
  8. spring — a coil
  9. key — the most important part
  10. spring — of water
  11. ground — the earth
  12. fine — high quality
  13. race — humankind
  14. saw — the tool
  15. race — the arms race
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. bat — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. race — a contest
  24. ground — crushed

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