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 116 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. club — for dancing
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cue — for pool
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ground — a position
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. march — the month
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. march — music
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cue — a signal
  16. club — a group
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ground — crushed
  19. key — in music
  20. march — the month
  21. club — for golf
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. key — the most important part

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