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 · racket · wound · prune · fan · tube · arm · mark

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wound — an injury
  6. key — in music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tube — a container
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. prune — to trim
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. prune — to trim
  17. key — for a lock
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. wound — an injury
  21. tube — the underground
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fan — to cool the air

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