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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. scale — size or range
  8. game — a match
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. scale — in music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. key — the most important part
  13. hand — in cards
  14. game — wild animals
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — for paper
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. clip — a video

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