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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. key — the most important part
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lie — to recline
  12. perch — the fish
  13. key — for a lock
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. staff — a stick
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. key — in music
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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