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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ball — a great time
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a leader
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. net — in sport
  12. spell — a short time
  13. net — after costs
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. season — of the year
  17. net — for catching
  18. ball — a dance
  19. spell — letters
  20. season — in sport
  21. key — in music
  22. spell — magic
  23. perch — the fish
  24. key — the most important part

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