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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wound — an injury
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. scale — in music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. key — the most important part
  17. degree — from a university
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. scale — size or range
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. degree — an amount

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