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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. key — for a lock
  3. track — to keep track
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. cap — a lid
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. game — wild animals
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. kick — in football
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. track — a song
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. game — a match

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