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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. land — ground
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. root — of a word
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. dip — to sink
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wake — a trail
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. land — a country
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. land — to come down
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. key — in music
  19. lie — to recline
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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