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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. key — for a lock
  4. cold — not warm
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rush — hurry
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. pound — a weight
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. root — of a word
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. vault — a safe
  17. root — the cause
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. cold — an illness
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pitcher — a jug

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