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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bear — the animal
  3. degree — from a university
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. key — the most important part
  6. fine — all right
  7. key — in music
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. drill — a practice
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. drill — the tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fine — high quality

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