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: spring · nail · tube · lie · foot · plane · straw · cap

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. plane — a tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cap — a lid
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. spring — of water
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. cap — of ice
  14. lie — to recline
  15. tube — the underground
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. foot — a measure
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. spring — the season
  24. cap — a hat

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