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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. key — for a lock
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. cap — a lid
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. current — of water
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. scale — in music
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fine — high quality
  16. land — to come down
  17. cap — a hat
  18. fine — all right
  19. key — the most important part
  20. sharp — clever
  21. current — happening now
  22. key — in music
  23. current — electric
  24. sharp — with an edge

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