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: bay · game · track · ball · fall · scale · lean · key

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. key — for a lock
  6. scale — in music
  7. lean — to bend
  8. fall — the season
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. ball — a dance
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. lean — thin
  15. key — in music
  16. track — a song
  17. fall — to drop
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. fall — to drop
  22. game — wild animals
  23. scale — size or range
  24. game — a match

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