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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. hand — help
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. march — the month
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. spring — of water
  9. rock — music
  10. spring — the season
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. foot — a measure
  16. spring — a coil
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. march — the month
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. key — the most important part
  23. march — music
  24. rock — a stone

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