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: date · bore · march · spring · can · toast · scale · hand

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. can — a tin
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bore — to drill
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. scale — in music
  11. spring — the season
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spring — of water
  14. hand — in cards
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. toast — bread
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. hand — help
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. march — the month

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