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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. season — of the year
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. land — to come down
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bat — the animal
  9. ball — a great time
  10. key — in music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. net — for catching
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. chair — a leader
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. ball — a dance
  23. season — in sport
  24. key — for a lock

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