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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pitch — completely
  4. march — music
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. march — the month
  8. key — in music
  9. pit — a hole
  10. spell — letters
  11. pop — music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pop — to visit
  14. spell — magic
  15. scale — size or range
  16. key — for a lock
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pop — soda
  22. march — the month
  23. scale — in music
  24. stock — a soup base

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