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: arm · key · last · nail · ball · land · fan · bank

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. last — to go on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bank — for money
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. bank — for money
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ball — a dance
  18. key — in music
  19. land — a country
  20. land — ground
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. land — to come down
  23. bank — of a river
  24. arm — a part of something

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