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 · arm · land · mouse · drill · mine · cold · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. key — the most important part
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mine — for digging
  8. key — in music
  9. land — ground
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — not warm
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. drill — army training
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. drill — a practice
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cold — an illness

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