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 120 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. drill — army training
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. key — in music
  6. fine — all right
  7. rash — hasty
  8. key — the most important part
  9. branch — a division
  10. rash — a series
  11. drill — a practice
  12. deal — to handle
  13. land — to come down
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. land — a country
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. land — ground
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. drill — the tool
  24. fine — high quality

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