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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. fine — all right
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. track — a path
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rash — a series
  15. foot — a measure
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fine — high quality
  18. foot — the bottom

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