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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. file — a tool
  6. key — in music
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. foot — a measure
  18. file — a document
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. file — a line of people

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