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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fine — all right
  4. shower — rain
  5. race — a contest
  6. fine — high quality
  7. saw — the tool
  8. shower — to wash
  9. key — in music
  10. band — a music group
  11. race — the arms race
  12. band — a ring
  13. drill — the tool
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. drill — army training
  20. saw — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. race — humankind
  24. kick — a thrill

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