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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. cell — a phone
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. cell — in biology
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. key — the most important part
  14. kid — to tease
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. kid — child
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. key — in music
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — bread

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