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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. key — in music
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. club — for golf
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. hand — help
  9. key — the most important part
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hand — in cards
  12. key — for a lock
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bulb — for light
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. club — a group
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pitcher — a jug

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