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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. key — in music
  7. mug — to rob
  8. shower — to wash
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. key — for a lock
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. shower — rain
  14. rock — a stone
  15. capital — a city
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mug — a face
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rock — music
  21. lie — to recline
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. capital — money

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