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 · lie · roll · ground · prune · arm · key · pitcher

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. key — the most important part
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lie — to recline
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. ground — crushed
  14. roll — a cake
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ground — a position
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. roll — a list
  22. ground — the earth
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lie — an untruth

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