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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. chest — of your body
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. root — of a plant
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. root — the cause
  8. game — wild animals
  9. key — in music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. board — a committee
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rest — a break
  16. game — a match
  17. board — to get on
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. chest — a box
  21. kid — to tease
  22. root — of a word
  23. bore — to tire
  24. kid — child

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