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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. file — a tool
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. file — a line of people
  10. club — for dancing
  11. key — in music
  12. club — for golf
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. club — a group
  15. lean — thin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. kid — to tease
  18. key — for a lock
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. lean — to bend
  23. file — a document
  24. lean — to rest against

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