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: arm · hand · ground · mark · band · wake · prune · key

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. ground — the earth
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. key — the most important part
  7. hand — help
  8. mark — a trace
  9. key — in music
  10. wake — a trail
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. band — a music group
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. band — a ring
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mark — a grade
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. key — for a lock
  24. ground — a position

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