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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. land — a country
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fine — high quality
  6. present — the time now
  7. chest — of your body
  8. capital — money
  9. key — in music
  10. capital — a city
  11. present — there
  12. lie — to recline
  13. land — ground
  14. rash — hasty
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rash — a series
  17. fine — all right
  18. chest — a box
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. chest — of your body
  21. land — to come down
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — on the skin

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