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: drill · press · foot · mark · bear · scale · key · rest

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mark — a grade
  6. foot — a measure
  7. drill — army training
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rest — a break
  10. key — in music
  11. press — to push
  12. rest — what's left
  13. scale — in music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. drill — the tool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. drill — a practice
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. scale — size or range
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rest — what's left
  24. press — a publisher

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