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: pass · tube · squash · mine · spring · ground · object · racket

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. ground — the earth
  6. spring — of water
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. spring — the season
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. tube — a container
  13. object — to protest
  14. mine — for digging
  15. object — an aim
  16. squash — the sport
  17. tube — the underground
  18. squash — to crush
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ground — a position
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ground — crushed
  24. object — a thing

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