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: current · bat · clip · racket · lie · key · perch · arm

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. clip — for paper
  3. current — happening now
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. key — the most important part
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bat — the animal
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. clip — to cut
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. clip — a video
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. key — in music
  24. perch — for a bird

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