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: wake · hand · key · pitcher · field · pass · perch · safe

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. key — in music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. field — a subject
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pass — a permit
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. key — for a lock
  13. hand — in cards
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. field — farmland
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wake — a trail
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. field — for sport
  21. perch — the fish
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. hand — help

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