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: game · key · safe · saw · bore · net · degree · pit

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. degree — an amount
  6. key — for a lock
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. net — after costs
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. degree — temperature
  11. net — for catching
  12. pit — a hole
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. degree — from a university
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pit — in a race
  21. game — a match
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. net — in sport

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