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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. key — for a lock
  3. dip — to sink
  4. roll — a list
  5. land — a country
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. key — in music
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wind — moving air
  15. land — ground
  16. mate — a partner
  17. land — to come down
  18. rash — hasty
  19. mate — to breed
  20. key — the most important part
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mine — for digging
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wind — moving air

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