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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. key — for a lock
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. key — in music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rush — hurry
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fall — the season
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cell — a phone
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fall — to drop

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