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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rash — hasty
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. key — for a lock
  7. land — ground
  8. key — the most important part
  9. capital — a city
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — in music
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. key — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. land — to come down
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. capital — money
  23. rash — a series
  24. scale — for weighing

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