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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. ground — crushed
  5. clip — for paper
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rash — hasty
  8. clip — a video
  9. rash — a series
  10. scale — in music
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. key — the most important part
  19. ground — a position
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. clip — to cut
  23. key — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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