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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. face — to point toward
  3. chip — for betting
  4. key — the most important part
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. file — a document
  8. last — finally
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. face — part of the head
  11. file — a tool
  12. face — to confront
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. last — final
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. key — in music
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. last — to go on
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. file — a line of people
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. chip — to eat
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. key — for a lock

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