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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. club — for golf
  3. cue — a signal
  4. club — a group
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bound — tied together
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. race — a contest
  12. club — for dancing
  13. cue — a hint
  14. vault — a safe
  15. prune — to trim
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. race — humankind
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bound — certain
  22. cue — for pool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. race — the arms race

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