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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. can — a tin
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pop — to visit
  6. spell — magic
  7. rash — a series
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. net — in sport
  12. pop — soda
  13. firm — a company
  14. net — for catching
  15. rash — hasty
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. net — after costs
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. key — in music
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pop — music
  23. firm — decided
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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