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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. key — the most important part
  3. snap — to click
  4. fork — in a road
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mug — a cup
  7. capital — money
  8. ground — a position
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. capital — a city
  14. current — of water
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mug — a face
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mug — to rob
  19. key — for a lock
  20. ground — the earth
  21. key — in music
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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