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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. key — in music
  3. capital — a city
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. land — a country
  10. roll — a list
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. file — a line of people
  13. land — to come down
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. capital — money
  19. squash — to crush
  20. file — a tool
  21. land — ground
  22. roll — a cake
  23. file — a document
  24. squash — the sport

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