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: mate · can · tube · spell · press · bear · scale · spring

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. spring — the season
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. spell — magic
  5. press — a publisher
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mate — to breed
  14. press — to push
  15. scale — in music
  16. press — newspapers
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mate — a partner
  19. can — a tin
  20. tube — a container
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spell — letters

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