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: leaves · season · arm · bore · track · key · bark · bowl

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. season — in sport
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. key — for a lock
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. track — a song
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bore — to drill
  19. season — of the year
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. key — in 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