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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. kid — to tease
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. sharp — clever
  8. kid — child
  9. scale — in music
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bound — tied together
  13. dip — to sink
  14. swing — to play on
  15. scale — size or range
  16. swing — music
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. swing — in golf
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. sharp — with an edge

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