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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. key — the most important part
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. band — a music group
  5. face — part of the head
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. shower — rain
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. roll — a list
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. face — to confront
  19. ground — crushed
  20. band — a ring
  21. face — to point toward
  22. ground — a position
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. ground — the earth

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