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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. key — for a lock
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. season — in sport
  11. date — the fruit
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. key — in music
  14. content — the amount
  15. plane — a tool
  16. band — a music group
  17. deal — to handle
  18. content — happy
  19. band — a ring
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rest — a break
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. key — the most important part

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