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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. key — in music
  3. cue — for pool
  4. file — a document
  5. net — in sport
  6. chest — of your body
  7. net — for catching
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. chest — of your body
  10. content — the amount
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. content — happy
  14. pop — to visit
  15. net — after costs
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. key — for a lock
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pop — soda
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mine — for digging
  24. chest — a box

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