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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. bound — obliged
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. last — final
  6. band — a music group
  7. pit — in a race
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bound — certain
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bound — tied together
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. band — a ring
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. last — finally
  23. plane — a tool
  24. last — to go on

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