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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. kid — child
  3. mark — a grade
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. file — a line of people
  11. key — the most important part
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. file — a tool
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rush — hurry
  17. field — a subject
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. ball — a great time
  21. file — a document
  22. key — in music
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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