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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. saw — the tool
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fall — to drop
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fall — to drop
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mate — to breed
  12. key — for a lock
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. key — in music
  16. fall — the season
  17. squash — to crush
  18. 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