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 · tube · wound · object · pass · mate · leaves · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. spring — the season
  7. object — a thing
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wound — an injury
  11. object — an aim
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pass — a permit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. spring — of water
  18. tube — a container
  19. squash — to crush
  20. object — to protest
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mate — a partner

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