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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. last — finally
  5. can — to be able to
  6. last — final
  7. can — a tin
  8. capital — a city
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. last — to go on
  11. capital — money
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rest — a break
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. key — in music
  24. can — a tin

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