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

Word bank: cue · rock · fall · spring · season · tube

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. spring — of water
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. season — in sport
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fall — the season
  9. cue — for pool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rock — a stone
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. spring — the season
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cue — a signal
  17. season — of the year
  18. spring — a coil

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