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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lie — to recline
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. net — for catching
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitch — completely
  9. hand — in cards
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. key — in music
  16. net — in sport
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. spell — magic
  19. net — after costs
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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