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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cold — not warm
  4. vault — a safe
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mug — a face
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. club — a group
  10. cell — in biology
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. key — in music
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. club — for golf
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. ground — a position
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. key — for a lock
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cold — an illness

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