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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. key — in music
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pit — in a race
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. scale — in music
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. key — the most important part
  15. spring — the season
  16. pit — a hole
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. scale — size or range
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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