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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. track — to keep track
  5. swing — to play on
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. swing — music
  8. season — of the year
  9. key — the most important part
  10. track — a song
  11. season — in sport
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wound — an injury
  15. track — a path
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wound — an injury
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. swing — in golf

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