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: field · trunk · key · nail · band · cabinet · arm · roll

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. band — a ring
  5. field — a subject
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. key — the most important part
  8. roll — a list
  9. band — a music group
  10. field — farmland
  11. roll — a cake
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. field — for sport
  15. key — in music
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. key — for a lock

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