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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. kid — child
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. key — in music
  10. bat — the animal
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. club — for golf
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mark — a trace
  20. kid — to tease
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ruler — for measuring

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