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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. roll — a list
  3. court — of law
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. key — for a lock
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rule — a law
  13. pound — a weight
  14. roll — a cake
  15. current — electric
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. current — happening now
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. scale — in music
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. current — of water

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