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: saw · cabinet · key · bat · rash · lie · swing · bark

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. lie — to recline
  5. key — for a lock
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. swing — music
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. key — in music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rash — a series
  24. bark — of a tree

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