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: roll · march · nail · rest · arm · bore · pitcher · key

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. roll — a cake
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. march — music
  8. roll — a list
  9. bore — to tire
  10. march — the month
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rest — a break
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. key — in music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bore — to drill
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. march — the month
  24. nail — on a finger

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