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 · ground · stick · scale · bat · safe · cabinet · prune

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. key — in music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. scale — in music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. ground — a position
  23. key — the most important part
  24. prune — to trim

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