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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mate — a friend
  6. key — in music
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mate — to breed
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. lean — thin
  14. rush — hurry
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bass — low music
  17. hand — help
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cue — for pool
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cue — a signal

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