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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bulb — for light
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. key — for a lock
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. game — a match
  12. key — in music
  13. cap — of ice
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wake — a trail
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. snap — to click
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bulb — for light

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