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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. key — the most important part
  3. scale — size or range
  4. current — of water
  5. cold — not warm
  6. band — a ring
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. press — to push
  11. scale — in music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cold — an illness
  17. band — a music group
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. current — happening now
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. current — electric
  23. press — newspapers
  24. arm — part of the body

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