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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pound — a weight
  9. hand — help
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. chip — for betting
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wax — to grow

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