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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called 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. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. capital — a city
  8. ball — a great time
  9. key — in music
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. capital — money
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stock — goods
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — in geometry

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