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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. key — for a lock
  3. vault — a safe
  4. face — to confront
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. key — the most important part
  7. net — after costs
  8. chip — for betting
  9. net — in sport
  10. chip — to eat
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. face — to point toward
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. net — for catching
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. press — a publisher
  23. capital — money
  24. key — in music

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