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: key · pass · wind · content · racket · perch · net · wave

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pass — a permit
  6. net — for catching
  7. content — happy
  8. net — after costs
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. net — in sport
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wind — moving air
  18. key — in music
  19. content — the amount
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. racket — for tennis

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