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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. object — an aim
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cue — for pool
  10. shower — to wash
  11. object — a thing
  12. cue — a signal
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. object — to protest
  17. cue — a hint
  18. key — the most important part
  19. shower — rain
  20. wax — to grow
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. perch — the fish
  23. scale — in music
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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