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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rush — hurry
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ground — a position
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bound — obliged
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stem — to come from
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bound — certain
  18. key — for a lock
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. ground — the earth
  23. key — in music
  24. rush — a thrill

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