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: hand · lie · key · dip · cabinet · toast · arm · stock

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stock — shares
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. hand — help
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. key — in music
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. key — the most important part
  17. toast — bread
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. key — for a lock
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. dip — to sink

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