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 116 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. rest — a break
  3. pop — to visit
  4. key — the most important part
  5. craft — a skill
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rest — what's left
  8. track — a song
  9. craft — boats
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. key — in music
  13. rule — a law
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. track — a path
  17. rest — what's left
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pop — soda
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rule — government
  24. pop — music

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