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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. track — a song
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. track — a path
  9. kid — to tease
  10. staff — employees
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bass — low music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. staff — a stick
  15. kid — child
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. scale — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. key — in music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. track — to keep track

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