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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. club — for golf
  5. hand — help
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lean — thin
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lean — to bend
  21. club — a group
  22. bulb — for light
  23. club — for dancing
  24. hand — part of the body

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