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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. key — the most important part
  3. foot — a measure
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. game — a match
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rule — a law
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rule — government
  24. game — wild animals

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