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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. capital — a city
  3. key — the most important part
  4. race — the arms race
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. key — for a lock
  7. foot — a measure
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. can — a tin
  11. net — in sport
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. race — a contest
  14. can — a tin
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. capital — money
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. root — the cause
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. race — humankind
  23. can — to be able to
  24. key — in music

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