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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. object — an aim
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. key — in music
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. last — finally
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. wake — a trail
  21. object — to protest
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. object — a thing
  24. game — a match

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