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: tube · spring · ball · vault · land · bay · mate · drill

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. vault — a safe
  3. spring — of water
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. spring — a coil
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. tube — a container
  10. mate — to breed
  11. land — a country
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. ball — a great time
  16. drill — army training
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. spring — the season
  19. land — to come down
  20. ball — a dance
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mate — a partner
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. land — ground

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