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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pitch — completely
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rule — government
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rule — a law
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. date — the fruit
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. degree — temperature
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mate — to breed
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mate — a friend

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