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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. chest — a box
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bulb — for light
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cell — a phone
  11. chest — of your body
  12. key — for a lock
  13. date — the fruit
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bank — for money
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bank — for money
  19. key — in music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wound — an injury

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