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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cell — a phone
  5. spring — the season
  6. race — a contest
  7. key — in music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tube — a container
  11. cell — in biology
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. tube — the underground
  14. plane — a tool
  15. race — humankind
  16. swing — music
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. key — for a lock
  21. race — the arms race
  22. swing — to play on
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

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