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: temple · stick · cell · ground · wind · key · race · pitcher

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. key — in music
  4. ground — a position
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. ground — crushed
  8. race — humankind
  9. wind — moving air
  10. key — the most important part
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wind — moving air
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cell — a phone
  21. race — a contest
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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