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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. key — in music
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. season — of the year
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. can — a tin
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bound — tied together
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bound — obliged
  12. scale — in music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. season — in sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. bound — certain
  17. spring — of water
  18. mine — for digging
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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