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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. row — a line
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. staff — a stick
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mine — for digging
  12. scale — in music
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. key — in music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. scale — size or range
  18. staff — employees
  19. key — for a lock
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. staff — employees
  24. club — for dancing

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