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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. key — the most important part
  4. sharp — clever
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cue — a signal
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. last — finally
  10. club — for golf
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mate — a partner
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pass — a permit
  19. key — in music
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mate — a friend
  24. last — final

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