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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. key — for a lock
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. race — humankind
  6. season — in sport
  7. race — a contest
  8. scale — in music
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wake — a trail
  12. tube — a container
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rest — what's left
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rest — what's left
  19. key — in music
  20. rest — a break
  21. season — of the year
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. race — the arms race

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