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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. key — the most important part
  4. sharp — clever
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. spell — letters
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. kid — child
  13. spell — a short time
  14. scale — in music
  15. key — in music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. scale — size or range
  19. kid — to tease
  20. foot — a measure
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. spell — magic
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. sharp — with an edge

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