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: nail · foot · pop · key · mate · roll · deal · wake

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. deal — to handle
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mate — to breed
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wake — a trail
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. key — in music
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. roll — a list
  23. pop — music
  24. foot — part of the body

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