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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. key — in music
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pit — in a race
  8. key — for a lock
  9. swing — music
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. sharp — clever
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mate — to breed
  16. scale — size or range
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. file — a document
  19. swing — to play on
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pit — a hole
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mate — a partner

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