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: scale · cabinet · safe · content · race · fan · row · key

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. scale — size or range
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. race — a contest
  5. row — a line
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. key — the most important part
  11. race — the arms race
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. race — humankind
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. row — to paddle
  19. scale — in music
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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