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: fan · straw · arm · wake · chair · key · cabinet · vault

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. key — in music
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wake — a trail
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. vault — a safe
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. key — the most important part
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. chair — a leader

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