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 116 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: wound · scale · key · pit · swing · cue · cabinet · straw

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. scale — size or range
  3. swing — music
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. swing — to play on
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. swing — in golf
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cabinet — ministers

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