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 120 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: tube · mouse · chest · bulb · stick · ground · key · court

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. ground — a position
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. court — for sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. court — of a king
  8. ground — the earth
  9. key — in music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chest — a box
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. tube — a container
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. key — the most important part
  20. court — of law
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ground — crushed

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