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: foot · saw · pound · deal · lash · key · chest · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chest — a box
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fine — all right
  12. key — in music
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. key — for a lock
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. foot — a measure
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pound — a weight
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. key — the most important part
  23. chest — of your body
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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