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 · capital · mate · last · plane · fork · root · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. last — final
  3. plane — a tool
  4. last — to go on
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mate — a friend
  7. key — in music
  8. spring — of water
  9. capital — a city
  10. root — of a word
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. capital — money
  13. spring — the season
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fork — in a road
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mate — to breed
  23. last — finally
  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