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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. toast — bread
  4. fine — all right
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. drill — army training
  8. scale — in music
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. cell — a phone
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. fall — the season
  14. cell — in biology
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fine — high quality
  19. scale — size or range
  20. lie — to recline
  21. key — for a lock
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fall — to drop

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