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: spring · temple · pitch · last · date · toast · fan · key

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. key — for a lock
  4. date — the fruit
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. last — final
  10. key — the most important part
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. toast — bread
  14. pitch — completely
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. last — to go on
  23. key — in music
  24. last — finally

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