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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. key — for a lock
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. season — in sport
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. object — a thing
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. season — of the year
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. key — in music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. object — an aim
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bore — to drill
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bear — the animal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bear — the animal

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