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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mug — to rob
  3. scale — in music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. hand — help
  9. key — in music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mug — a face
  13. key — for a lock
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bore — to drill
  20. hand — in cards
  21. band — a music group
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. band — a ring

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