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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pop — music
  3. key — in music
  4. dip — to sink
  5. season — in sport
  6. key — for a lock
  7. land — a country
  8. pop — soda
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. land — ground
  12. fine — high quality
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fine — all right
  15. cap — of ice
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. land — to come down
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pop — to visit
  22. season — of the year
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bat — in an idiom

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