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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. cell — in biology
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. march — music
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. march — the month
  13. bear — the animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. cell — a phone
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. wound — an injury
  24. march — the month

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