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: last · mark · fall · key · clip · root · bear · sharp

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. fall — to drop
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — to cut
  5. last — final
  6. root — of a plant
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. key — for a lock
  10. fall — to drop
  11. last — to go on
  12. mark — a trace
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bear — the animal
  19. key — in music
  20. fall — the season
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mark — a grade
  23. last — finally
  24. clip — a video

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