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: season · key · drill · stick · plane · foot · kick · cold

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. plane — a tool
  6. season — of the year
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. drill — the tool
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. season — in sport
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. kick — in football
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. key — in music
  23. drill — army training
  24. key — the most important part

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