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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. band — a ring
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rash — hasty
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. track — a path
  13. band — a music group
  14. rash — a series
  15. track — a song
  16. club — for dancing
  17. key — the most important part
  18. club — a group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. club — for golf
  24. cue — for pool

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