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: arm · bat · dip · key · toast · rock · content · kid

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. kid — to tease
  3. rock — music
  4. key — in music
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. kid — child
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. key — for a lock
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. content — the amount
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. key — the most important part
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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