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

Word bank: pitcher · wound · chair · saw · band · bat · lean · key

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lean — to bend
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lean — thin
  9. chair — a leader
  10. key — in music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. band — a ring
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bat — the animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. band — a music group
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. key — for a lock
  24. band — a rubber band

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