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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. key — for a lock
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cap — a lid
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. key — in music
  9. game — a match
  10. spring — of water
  11. drill — army training
  12. key — the most important part
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. season — of the year
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cap — of ice
  19. suit — to fit
  20. spring — a coil
  21. season — in sport
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. spring — the season
  24. cap — a hat

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