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: lash · kid · track · bowl · pit · sharp · band · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. band — a music group
  3. pit — a hole
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. kid — child
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. kid — to tease
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pit — in a race
  18. sharp — clever
  19. track — a path
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. band — a ring
  24. track — a song

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