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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cue — for pool
  3. land — a country
  4. key — the most important part
  5. degree — temperature
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cue — a hint
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cue — a signal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. land — ground
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ground — a position
  19. key — in music
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mark — a grade
  22. land — to come down
  23. degree — an amount
  24. sharp — clever

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