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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  3. drill — a practice
  4. firm — steady
  5. cold — an illness
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bulb — for light
  8. firm — decided
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. key — in music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. key — for a lock
  13. drill — the tool
  14. firm — a company
  15. chair — a leader
  16. drill — army training
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — not warm
  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