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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. court — of a king
  3. rest — a break
  4. key — in music
  5. chest — of your body
  6. court — of law
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. march — the month
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. foot — a measure
  13. march — the month
  14. rock — a stone
  15. court — for sport
  16. chest — a box
  17. rest — what's left
  18. march — music
  19. net — for catching
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rock — music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rock — to move gently

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