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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rush — hurry
  5. can — to be able to
  6. drill — the tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. drill — a practice
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. drill — army training
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. net — after costs
  24. bowl — a dish

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