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: key · straw · date · swing · race · ruler · nail · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. key — in music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — the most important part
  13. date — the fruit
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. race — humankind
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cell — in biology
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. swing — music

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