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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. shower — rain
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. court — of law
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cold — an illness
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cold — not warm
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rule — government
  14. court — of a king
  15. key — in music
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wax — to grow
  20. key — for a lock
  21. court — for sport
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rule — a law

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