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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. key — in music
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. bound — certain
  6. roll — a list
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. craft — boats
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. cue — a signal
  12. net — in sport
  13. key — for a lock
  14. net — after costs
  15. ground — the earth
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bound — obliged
  18. key — the most important part
  19. net — for catching
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bound — tied together

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