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: can · firm · capital · arm · mine · key · club · staff

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. staff — a stick
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. can — a tin
  7. firm — decided
  8. capital — money
  9. firm — a company
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. club — for dancing
  13. key — the most important part
  14. staff — employees
  15. club — a group
  16. capital — a city
  17. can — a tin
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. staff — employees
  23. firm — steady
  24. club — for golf

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