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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. last — final
  3. key — for a lock
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mine — for digging
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. suit — clothes
  8. last — finally
  9. key — in music
  10. last — to go on
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. key — the most important part
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cap — of ice
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. cold — not warm
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. suit — in cards

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