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 · mug · perch · ground · ball · wind · plane · deal

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. ball — a great time
  4. key — for a lock
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wind — moving air
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mug — a face
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. perch — the fish
  13. ground — crushed
  14. plane — a tool
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mug — a cup
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wind — moving air
  23. key — in music
  24. wind — to turn a key

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