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: chest · can · bark · bat · plane · chair · spell · key

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. spell — magic
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bark — to shout
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. chair — a leader
  11. can — a tin
  12. spell — letters
  13. bat — the animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. spell — a short time
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. key — in music
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. chair — to sit on

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