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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. key — the most important part
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pass — a permit
  6. key — for a lock
  7. band — a music group
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. key — in music
  10. staff — a stick
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. band — a ring
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. can — a tin
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bulb — for light
  21. can — a tin
  22. staff — employees
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rash — hasty

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