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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chest — a box
  5. snap — to click
  6. key — for a lock
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. key — in music
  13. chest — of your body
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. club — for golf
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. club — a group
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. chest — of your body
  24. key — the most important part

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