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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. charge — in control
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. field — a subject
  5. game — a match
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. charge — electricity
  8. staff — a stick
  9. field — for sport
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. staff — employees
  14. field — farmland
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. game — wild animals
  18. charge — a price
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stand — to bear
  22. key — the most important part
  23. craft — boats
  24. rash — a series

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