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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. land — a country
  3. snap — to click
  4. branch — a division
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. hand — in cards
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pit — a hole
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pit — in a race
  14. key — for a lock
  15. board — a committee
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. hand — help
  18. key — in music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hand — part of the body

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