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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. club — for golf
  7. track — a path
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. key — for a lock
  10. club — a group
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. kid — child
  13. bass — the fish
  14. ball — a great time
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bass — low music
  17. track — a song
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. track — to keep track
  20. key — in music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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