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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. key — the most important part
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. kid — child
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bat — the animal
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. craft — a skill
  12. key — for a lock
  13. kid — to tease
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. key — in music
  19. craft — boats
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bat — for baseball

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