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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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 — of the leg
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. key — for a lock
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. firm — steady
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. firm — decided
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bark — to shout
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cold — an illness
  16. pound — a weight
  17. key — in music
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. firm — a company
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cold — not warm

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