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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. staff — employees
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bank — of a river
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. key — for a lock
  10. spring — the season
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. spring — of water
  13. bank — for money
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bank — for money
  18. staff — a stick
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. staff — employees
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. key — in music

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