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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. key — in music
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. key — the most important part
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cap — a hat
  7. march — the month
  8. present — the time now
  9. lie — to recline
  10. march — the month
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. sharp — clever
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. squash — the sport
  19. march — music
  20. present — a gift
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. squash — to crush
  24. present — there

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