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 · wind · ball · rush · mate · chair · key · cabinet

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. key — in music
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. hand — help
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wind — moving air
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mate — to breed
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wind — to turn a key

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