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: key · safe · spring · tube · lie · shower · degree · face

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. degree — an amount
  3. key — in music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. face — part of the head
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. face — to confront
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. tube — the underground
  10. degree — from a university
  11. lie — to recline
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. face — to point toward
  18. shower — rain
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. degree — temperature

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