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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ground — crushed
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. staff — employees
  7. last — final
  8. key — in music
  9. staff — employees
  10. ground — a position
  11. last — to go on
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. roll — a cake
  20. last — finally
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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