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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bound — tied together
  5. key — the most important part
  6. date — the fruit
  7. lean — thin
  8. bound — certain
  9. ground — crushed
  10. key — in music
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. ground — the earth
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bound — obliged
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. ground — a position
  19. scale — size or range
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. key — for a lock
  22. scale — in music
  23. lean — to bend
  24. date — on the calendar

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