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: current · arm · scale · bowl · key · tear · kick · rash

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. scale — size or range
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. key — the most important part
  9. current — of water
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rash — a series
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. rash — hasty
  20. tear — from crying
  21. kick — in football
  22. scale — in music
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. kick — with a leg

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