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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. band — a music group
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rest — a break
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mug — a face
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mine — for digging
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. band — a ring
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. key — in music
  19. mug — to rob
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. band — a rubber band

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