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 120 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. track — a path
  3. squash — the sport
  4. season — in sport
  5. ground — crushed
  6. season — of the year
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ground — the earth
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. key — in music
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ground — a position
  24. saw — the tool

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