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 · ball · tube · mine · nail · lie · object · band

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mine — for digging
  3. ball — a great time
  4. tube — the underground
  5. key — in music
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. band — a music group
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. object — an aim
  16. band — a ring
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. object — to protest
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. key — the most important part
  21. object — a thing
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. key — for a lock
  24. ball — a dance

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