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: key · bat · rock · pop · craft · leaves · cold · mine

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — not warm
  3. key — in music
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pop — to visit
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bat — the animal
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rock — music
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. craft — boats
  19. pop — music
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cold — an illness
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. key — for a lock
  24. pop — soda

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