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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · track · drill · perch · scale · rush · shower · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. shower — to wash
  4. key — the most important part
  5. drill — the tool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. track — a song
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. key — in music
  10. track — a path
  11. drill — army training
  12. perch — the fish
  13. scale — size or range
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rush — hurry
  18. shower — rain
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. scale — in music
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bark — to shout
  23. drill — a practice
  24. perch — for a bird

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