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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · bass · stick · race · key · cell

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. race — the arms race
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. race — a contest
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. race — humankind
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bass — low music
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. key — the most important part

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