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: spell · spring · mug · kick · tube · stock · staff · rest

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mug — a face
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stock — shares
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spring — of water
  13. staff — employees
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rest — what's left
  16. spring — the season
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. rest — a break
  19. staff — employees
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mug — a cup
  24. staff — a stick

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