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 · wake · file · bay · chest · tear · ball · scale

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wake — a trail
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. file — a tool
  9. key — the most important part
  10. tear — to rip
  11. file — a line of people
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. scale — size or range
  16. chest — of your body
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. file — a document
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. scale — in music
  22. tear — from crying
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wake — before a funeral

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