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: file · tube · present · bound · spell · roll · rest · spring

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. file — a line of people
  3. spell — magic
  4. present — there
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rest — what's left
  7. file — a document
  8. spring — a coil
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rest — what's left
  13. present — a gift
  14. spring — of water
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rest — a break
  17. bound — certain
  18. file — a tool
  19. roll — a list
  20. present — the time now
  21. bound — tied together
  22. spring — the season
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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