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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. key — for a lock
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rash — a series
  5. bass — the fish
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mate — a partner
  13. row — a line
  14. key — the most important part
  15. tube — a container
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mate — a friend
  22. key — in music
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bass — low music

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