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 120 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: track · key · drill · chair · degree · can · sharp · chest

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. can — a tin
  3. key — for a lock
  4. can — a tin
  5. track — a song
  6. degree — from a university
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. chest — of your body
  10. key — the most important part
  11. degree — an amount
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chest — of your body
  14. key — in music
  15. chair — a leader
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. track — a path
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. drill — a practice
  20. degree — temperature
  21. chest — a box
  22. drill — the tool
  23. can — to be able to
  24. track — to keep track

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