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 116 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 · wave · deal · ground · charge · stick · hand · bat

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. charge — in control
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. charge — electricity
  10. ground — crushed
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. charge — a price
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. key — in music
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. deal — to handle
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — the animal
  24. hand — in cards

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