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: chair · key · racket · scale · pound · bank · file · tear

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pound — a weight
  3. key — for a lock
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. file — a document
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bank — for money
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. key — in music
  14. file — a tool
  15. tear — from crying
  16. scale — in music
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bank — for money
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. file — a line of people
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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