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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. club — a group
  3. key — in music
  4. cold — an illness
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wake — a trail
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cold — not warm
  12. present — the time now
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. present — a gift
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. club — for dancing
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. club — for golf
  23. present — there
  24. cap — a hat

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