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: suit · track · lash · hand · prune · rule · key · squash

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. suit — clothes
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rule — a law
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rule — government
  13. suit — in cards
  14. prune — to trim
  15. track — to keep track
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. track — a path
  19. key — in music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. track — a song
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. key — for a lock
  24. squash — the vegetable

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