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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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 — in music
  3. pop — music
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pop — to visit
  6. perch — the fish
  7. field — for sport
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pop — soda
  16. wind — moving air
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. field — farmland
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wax — to grow
  24. field — a subject

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