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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. field — farmland
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cap — of ice
  7. field — for sport
  8. key — in music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cap — a lid
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. key — the most important part
  21. field — a subject
  22. drill — army training
  23. date — the fruit
  24. cap — a hat

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