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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. scale — in music
  4. mark — a grade
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cold — not warm
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cold — an illness
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. calf — a young animal

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