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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. key — for a lock
  3. cue — a signal
  4. shower — rain
  5. current — of water
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. file — a document
  8. key — the most important part
  9. charge — a price
  10. shower — to wash
  11. season — of the year
  12. cue — for pool
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. file — a line of people
  18. charge — in control
  19. object — a thing
  20. cue — a hint
  21. key — in music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. file — a tool
  24. object — an aim

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