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 light ________________ burned out.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. bulb — for light
  3. key — the most important part
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stock — shares
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. content — the amount
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rule — government
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. content — happy
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stock — goods
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cap — a lid
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rule — a law
  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