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 124 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. key — in music
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. can — a tin
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rash — a series
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cap — a lid
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cap — of ice
  17. charge — in control
  18. can — a tin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. scale — size or range
  21. charge — a price
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. scale — in music
  24. key — the most important part

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