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: chair · rush · can · spring · key · hand · ball · trunk

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. can — a tin
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. key — for a lock
  8. can — to be able to
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. hand — in cards
  11. key — the most important part
  12. spring — a coil
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chair — a leader
  16. key — in music
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ball — a great time

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