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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. prune — to trim
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wake — a trail
  16. snap — to click
  17. prune — to trim
  18. key — in music

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