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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. can — to be able to
  3. chest — of your body
  4. can — a tin
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chest — a box
  9. club — for golf
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wake — a trail
  13. club — a group
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. march — music
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. can — a tin
  21. march — the month
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. club — for dancing
  24. march — the month

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