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 120 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: track · key · straw · bat · drill · swing · band · rock

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. key — the most important part
  3. swing — music
  4. key — in music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. band — a music group
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bat — the animal
  12. drill — army training
  13. track — a path
  14. band — a ring
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. drill — the tool
  18. key — for a lock
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bat — in an idiom

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