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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rule — a law
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mark — a trace
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mark — a grade
  13. last — to go on
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — a phone
  17. last — finally
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. last — final
  21. face — to confront
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. key — in 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