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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. object — a thing
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. track — to keep track
  11. key — for a lock
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. object — to protest
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bass — low music
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. key — in music
  24. object — an aim

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