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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
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Word bank
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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. content — happy
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. spell — a short time
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. net — after costs
  11. key — for a lock
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. net — for catching
  15. key — in music
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. net — in sport
  19. chair — a leader
  20. spell — letters
  21. content — the amount
  22. spell — magic
  23. key — the most important part
  24. date — on the calendar

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