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 looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. field — for sport
  3. scale — in music
  4. field — farmland
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. rule — government
  9. wound — an injury
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rule — a law
  13. kick — in football
  14. field — a subject
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. date — the fruit
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mate — a partner
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. key — in music

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