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

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. game — a match
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. key — for a lock
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lean — thin
  12. pop — to visit
  13. key — in music
  14. pop — soda
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pop — music
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — to protest
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lean — to bend
  22. object — an aim
  23. key — the most important part
  24. game — wild animals

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