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 knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. sharp — clever
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fine — high quality
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. spring — of water
  11. fine — all right
  12. bound — tied together
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bound — obliged
  15. spring — the season
  16. bound — certain
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. key — in music
  23. spring — a coil
  24. race — humankind

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