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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cell — a phone
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. face — part of the head
  5. key — the most important part
  6. face — to point toward
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. key — for a lock
  10. swing — music
  11. rash — a series
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. rash — hasty
  15. club — for golf
  16. swing — in golf
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. swing — to play on
  19. face — to confront
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. scale — in music

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