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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. club — a group
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. key — for a lock
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. scale — in music
  9. game — a match
  10. toast — bread
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pitch — completely
  13. snap — to click
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. club — for golf
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. club — for dancing
  24. game — wild animals

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