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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. key — the most important part
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. file — a document
  13. swing — music
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. swing — in golf
  18. foot — a measure
  19. plane — a tool
  20. file — a tool
  21. drill — the tool
  22. key — in music
  23. net — in sport
  24. file — a line of people

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