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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. roll — a cake
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. roll — a list
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. face — to confront
  13. content — the amount
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. key — for a lock
  18. content — happy
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. key — in music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wake — a trail

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