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: shower · foot · spring · date · stand · degree · suit · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stand — to bear
  3. suit — in cards
  4. foot — a measure
  5. degree — temperature
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. suit — clothes
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. spring — the season
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. key — in music
  18. degree — an amount
  19. shower — rain
  20. key — for a lock
  21. shower — to wash
  22. spring — of water
  23. degree — from a university
  24. spring — a coil

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