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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. band — a ring
  3. key — for a lock
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. capital — money
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. suit — in cards
  8. land — ground
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. perch — the fish
  11. suit — to fit
  12. key — the most important part
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. suit — clothes
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. land — a country
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. land — to come down
  21. band — a music group
  22. pound — a weight
  23. key — in music
  24. capital — a city

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