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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. can — a tin
  3. key — for a lock
  4. staff — employees
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. can — a tin
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bound — obliged
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. kid — to tease
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. key — in music
  19. kid — child
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bound — certain

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