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 116 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: degree · wind · nail · perch · mate · wave · key · pitcher

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. key — in music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wind — moving air
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. perch — the fish
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mate — a partner
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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