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: lean · last · spring · bore · pop · tube · fine · fork

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pop — music
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bore — to drill
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pop — to visit
  7. lean — thin
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. spring — a coil
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lean — to bend
  17. spring — the season
  18. tube — a container
  19. last — finally
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. last — final
  22. fine — all right
  23. spring — of water
  24. pop — soda

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