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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bear — the animal
  5. key — for a lock
  6. shower — rain
  7. key — in music
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. key — the most important part
  11. season — of the year
  12. snap — to click
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bear — the animal
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rock — music
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. season — in sport
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. kid — child
  24. bear — to put up with

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