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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. court — for sport
  4. lean — to bend
  5. key — in music
  6. cap — a hat
  7. current — happening now
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. current — electric
  11. pitch — completely
  12. current — of water
  13. cap — a lid
  14. court — of a king
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. court — of law
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cap — of ice
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. lean — thin

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