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: key · game · lash · toast · land · temple · ground · pass

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. ground — crushed
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. ground — a position
  5. key — the most important part
  6. toast — bread
  7. key — for a lock
  8. game — a match
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. game — wild animals
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. key — in music
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. land — to come down
  21. ground — the earth
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. land — ground
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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