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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. field — a subject
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. dip — to sink
  8. key — in music
  9. club — a group
  10. staff — a stick
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. staff — employees
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. staff — employees
  15. field — farmland
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. club — for golf
  18. field — for sport
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wake — a trail
  23. key — the most important part
  24. dip — a sauce

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