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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bass — the fish
  5. drill — army training
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. last — to go on
  8. prune — to trim
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. last — final
  11. race — humankind
  12. key — for a lock
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. race — a contest
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — bread
  19. last — finally
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bass — low music
  23. snap — to click
  24. prune — to trim

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