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 120 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pop — to visit
  3. key — for a lock
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bat — the animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. drill — army training
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pop — music
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pop — soda
  22. bass — low music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. key — in 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