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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. key — the most important part
  4. capital — a city
  5. mug — a cup
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. march — music
  11. capital — money
  12. wake — a trail
  13. key — in music
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. march — the month
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. march — the month
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mug — a face
  24. capital — a big letter

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