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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. key — in music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pass — a permit
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bound — certain
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. perch — the fish
  24. tear — from crying

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