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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. snap — to click
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. key — in music
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stand — to bear
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. club — a group
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ground — the earth
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. key — for a lock
  18. plane — a tool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. ground — crushed
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. club — for golf
  24. ground — a position

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