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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mate — to breed
  4. capital — a city
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rule — a law
  10. key — for a lock
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — money
  15. vault — a safe
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. chest — a box
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. roll — a cake
  24. key — in music

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