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: race · can · nail · date · key · cabinet · swing · net

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. key — the most important part
  5. race — the arms race
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. can — a tin
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. net — in sport
  10. race — a contest
  11. swing — in golf
  12. race — humankind
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. swing — to play on
  16. can — to be able to
  17. date — the fruit
  18. swing — music
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. can — a tin
  22. key — in music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. nail — for a hammer

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