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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. current — electric
  3. drill — the tool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. key — the most important part
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. key — for a lock
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. drill — army training
  13. key — in music
  14. snap — to click
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. drill — a practice
  24. foot — a measure

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