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 120 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: court · key · mouse · rash · coach · safe · spring · arm

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rash — hasty
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. spring — of water
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. key — for a lock
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. key — the most important part
  13. spring — the season
  14. court — of a king
  15. rash — a series
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. court — for sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. court — of law
  21. key — in music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mouse — the animal

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