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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. court — of a king
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. staff — a stick
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. staff — employees
  12. lie — to recline
  13. key — the most important part
  14. net — after costs
  15. last — finally
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. last — to go on
  18. shower — rain
  19. last — final
  20. net — in sport
  21. shower — to wash
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. net — for catching

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