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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cell — a phone
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. game — a match
  5. scale — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. press — to push
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. spell — magic
  12. game — wild animals
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. press — a publisher
  19. scale — size or range
  20. press — newspapers
  21. squash — to crush
  22. cell — in biology
  23. spell — letters
  24. squash — the sport

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