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: bass · drill · key · mouse · pitcher · rash · rest · mine

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rash — a series
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. drill — army training
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. key — in music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rash — hasty
  24. drill — the tool

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