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: object · date · press · spell · racket · jam · content · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. content — the amount
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. press — a publisher
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. key — for a lock
  8. content — happy
  9. press — to push
  10. object — an aim
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. spell — letters
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. key — in music
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. object — to protest
  18. date — the fruit
  19. spell — a short time
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. object — a thing
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. spell — magic
  24. press — newspapers

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