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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. pit — in a race
  8. band — a ring
  9. key — for a lock
  10. degree — an amount
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. field — for sport
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rush — hurry
  17. degree — from a university
  18. key — in music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. band — a music group
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. press — to push

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