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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. capital — money
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. key — in music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. wind — moving air
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bulb — for light
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. board — a committee
  18. rush — hurry
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bark — to shout
  21. capital — a city
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. board — to get on

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