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 120 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fine — all right
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. snap — to click
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. sharp — clever
  9. tear — to rip
  10. key — the most important part
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. key — in music
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fine — high quality
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. plane — a tool
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. leaves — to go away

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