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 water is too ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. key — the most important part
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. key — in music
  6. scale — in music
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lean — thin
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. lean — to bend
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pop — music
  16. cold — an illness
  17. chair — a leader
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. nail — for a hammer

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