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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. drill — a practice
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. row — a line
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. key — the most important part
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. row — to paddle
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. board — a committee
  19. rest — a break
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rest — what's left
  24. jam — a tight spot

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