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: spring · wind · spell · can · key · drill · cap · hide

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. drill — the tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spell — letters
  8. wind — moving air
  9. spring — a coil
  10. can — a tin
  11. key — in music
  12. drill — army training
  13. cap — a hat
  14. drill — a practice
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wind — moving air
  17. spring — the season
  18. cap — of ice
  19. can — to be able to
  20. spring — of water
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — magic
  24. key — for a lock

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