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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. chair — a leader
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. perch — the fish
  5. field — farmland
  6. key — the most important part
  7. field — a subject
  8. pop — to visit
  9. hand — help
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. rest — a break
  14. key — in music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hand — in cards
  17. field — for sport
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rest — what's left
  20. key — for a lock
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pop — soda

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