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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rush — hurry
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. key — the most important part
  6. clip — a video
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. clip — to cut
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. scale — in music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. key — in music
  13. clip — for paper
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. scale — size or range
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fork — in a road
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. key — for a lock

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