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 a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. clip — for paper
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pit — in a race
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — to cut
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cue — for pool
  20. key — in music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — a hint

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