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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · pound · rock · nail · bay · tube

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. 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. pound — to hit hard
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rock — music
  6. tube — a container
  7. spring — the season
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. spring — a coil
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pound — a weight
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. 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