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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. key — for a lock
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. key — the most important part
  6. degree — temperature
  7. key — in music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. content — the amount
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. stock — goods
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. snap — to click
  18. pass — a permit
  19. degree — from a university
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stock — shares
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. content — happy

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