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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. firm — a company
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chest — of your body
  5. deal — to handle
  6. key — the most important part
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. content — happy
  9. band — a music group
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. perch — the fish
  14. band — a ring
  15. key — in music
  16. chest — a box
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. content — the amount
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. chest — of your body

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