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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rock — music
  4. field — a subject
  5. key — the most important part
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. field — farmland
  8. rock — a stone
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. field — for sport
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bank — of a river
  14. branch — a division
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. key — in music
  18. root — the cause
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bank — for money
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bank — for money

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