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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rash — a series
  3. key — the most important part
  4. field — a subject
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. can — a tin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. key — for a lock
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. field — for sport
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. field — farmland
  17. lie — to recline
  18. key — in music
  19. rash — hasty
  20. band — a music group
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. band — a ring
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. can — a tin

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