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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wake — a trail
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. swing — music
  13. net — for catching
  14. drill — army training
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. kid — child
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. drill — the tool
  22. kid — to tease
  23. swing — in golf
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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