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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. key — in music
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pop — music
  6. rash — a series
  7. content — the amount
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. board — to get on
  10. key — the most important part
  11. content — happy
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. pop — to visit
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rash — hasty
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pop — soda
  23. row — a line
  24. scale — for weighing

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