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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. roll — a cake
  3. lean — to bend
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. key — the most important part
  10. cap — a hat
  11. roll — a list
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cap — a lid
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. lean — thin
  19. track — a song
  20. cap — of ice
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. key — in music
  23. roll — on a roll
  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