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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. field — a subject
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cue — a signal
  5. key — the most important part
  6. cue — for pool
  7. band — a ring
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bound — obliged
  10. key — in music
  11. ball — a great time
  12. roll — a list
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. field — for sport
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bound — certain
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. field — farmland
  21. bound — tied together
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. band — a music group
  24. cue — a hint

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