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

Word bank: tear · cabinet · key · pitcher · swing · deal · net · pound

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. swing — music
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pound — a weight
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — for catching
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. net — after costs
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — in music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. swing — in golf
  20. net — in sport
  21. tear — from crying
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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