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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. key — for a lock
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. club — for dancing
  6. squash — the sport
  7. club — a group
  8. ground — crushed
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bound — certain
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. prune — to trim
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. club — for golf
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bound — tied together
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. ground — a position
  24. squash — to crush

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