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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. key — the most important part
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. perch — the fish
  5. last — finally
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. face — part of the head
  13. file — a document
  14. face — to point toward
  15. last — to go on
  16. file — a tool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. file — a line of people
  22. last — final
  23. face — to confront
  24. foot — a measure

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