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: tube · mug · roll · pitch · wake · spring · key · board

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. tube — a container
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. key — in music
  9. mug — a face
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. spring — of water
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wake — a trail
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. tube — the underground
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mug — a cup

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