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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. key — for a lock
  3. face — to confront
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. key — in music
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mark — a grade
  16. root — of a word
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. key — the most important part
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. face — part of the head

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