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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. board — a committee
  3. stock — goods
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fall — to drop
  7. shower — to wash
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mug — a face
  12. stock — shares
  13. key — in music
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — rain
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cell — in biology

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