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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. tear — from crying
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. key — for a lock
  7. field — a subject
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. key — in music
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. tear — to rip
  14. field — farmland
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bass — low music
  22. field — for sport
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bound — certain

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