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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bark — to shout
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. key — in music
  6. degree — temperature
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. spell — magic
  9. sharp — clever
  10. degree — from a university
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. pit — a hole
  14. current — of water
  15. pit — in a race
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. current — happening now
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. current — electric
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fan — a supporter

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