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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. field — a subject
  4. key — in music
  5. last — finally
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. last — to go on
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. face — to confront
  13. last — final
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — for sport
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. fork — in a road
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. fork — a garden tool

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