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 · hand · cabinet · ball · roll · sharp · rush · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ball — a great time
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — a list
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. hand — in cards
  19. ball — a dance
  20. hand — help
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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