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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. land — a country
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. plane — a tool
  5. key — for a lock
  6. last — to go on
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. last — finally
  10. land — to come down
  11. scale — size or range
  12. current — happening now
  13. land — ground
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. last — final
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. key — in music
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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