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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. key — in music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cold — an illness
  12. can — a tin
  13. date — the fruit
  14. key — the most important part
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bark — to shout
  18. sharp — clever
  19. can — a tin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cold — not warm
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. scale — in music
  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