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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. key — for a lock
  5. face — part of the head
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. face — to confront
  8. key — in music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bat — the animal
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pop — music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pop — soda
  24. net — after costs

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