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: sharp · foot · key · chest · nail · mouse · kid · court

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. court — of a king
  4. kid — to tease
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. chest — a box
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. sharp — clever
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. chest — of your body
  17. key — in music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. kid — child
  22. chest — of your body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. key — for a lock

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