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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rest — what's left
  5. degree — an amount
  6. key — in music
  7. content — the amount
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cue — a hint
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rock — music
  15. rest — a break
  16. wake — a trail
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. content — happy
  22. rock — a stone
  23. degree — temperature
  24. content — videos and posts

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