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

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mug — a cup
  5. net — for catching
  6. mug — a face
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stem — to come from
  13. clip — for paper
  14. board — a committee
  15. pop — music
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mug — to rob
  18. net — after costs
  19. key — for a lock
  20. clip — a video
  21. pop — soda
  22. board — to get on
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. net — in sport

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