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 116 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: rash · stick · bound · kick · key · scale · racket · fall

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kick — in football
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bound — certain
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. scale — in music
  16. rash — hasty
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rash — a series
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. fall — the season
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bound — obliged

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