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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. craft — a skill
  3. key — for a lock
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. key — in music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. land — a country
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. degree — an amount
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. chip — to eat
  15. ball — a great time
  16. key — the most important part
  17. land — ground
  18. craft — boats
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. ball — a dance
  23. land — to come down
  24. degree — temperature

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