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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chip — to eat
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. land — a country
  8. bank — for money
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. land — ground
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mug — a face
  14. bank — for money
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. land — to come down
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — in music
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bank — of a river
  23. key — in music
  24. chip — for betting

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