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

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. spring — the season
  5. pass — a permit
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stand — to bear
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. field — a subject
  20. foot — a measure
  21. field — for sport
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. key — the most important part

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