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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. key — the most important part
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wind — moving air
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stem — to come from
  8. vault — a safe
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. date — the fruit
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wind — moving air
  16. swing — music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. key — for a lock
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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