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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. net — in sport
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rock — music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rock — a stone
  8. snap — to click
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. court — of law
  13. key — in music
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. net — after costs
  16. bass — the fish
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. net — for catching
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. bass — low music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rock — to move gently

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