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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. key — for a lock
  3. spell — letters
  4. staff — a stick
  5. spell — magic
  6. prune — to trim
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. saw — the tool
  11. clip — a video
  12. key — in music
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. clip — for paper
  15. saw — the tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. clip — to cut
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wound — an injury
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. key — the most important part

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