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 116 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 not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cue — a signal
  3. staff — employees
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. key — in music
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. spring — the season
  12. band — a ring
  13. cue — for pool
  14. band — a music group
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spring — of water
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. staff — employees
  24. spring — a coil

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