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: ball · drill · tear · mark · spring · key · rock · leaves

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. drill — a practice
  5. key — in music
  6. spring — of water
  7. key — for a lock
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. spring — the season
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. tear — from crying
  18. key — the most important part
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rock — music
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mark — a trace

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