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: bark · hand · key · ball · game · march · nail · bay

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. key — for a lock
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. ball — a dance
  9. hand — help
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. march — the month
  17. key — the most important part
  18. game — a match
  19. ball — a great time
  20. march — the month
  21. hand — in cards
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. key — in music
  24. march — music

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