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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. club — for golf
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. club — for dancing
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. club — a group
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bass — the fish
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wax — to grow
  12. key — in music
  13. bass — low music
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. scale — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. capital — a city
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. scale — size or range
  21. capital — money
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. deal — an agreement

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