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 · track · court · date · club · scale · kick · last

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. key — the most important part
  3. scale — size or range
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. club — a group
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. kick — in football
  9. date — the fruit
  10. court — for sport
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. last — final
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. club — for golf
  17. scale — in music
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. court — of a king
  20. club — for dancing
  21. court — of law
  22. track — a path
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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