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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. key — in music
  3. degree — from a university
  4. board — a committee
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. degree — temperature
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. degree — an amount
  11. board — to get on
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. tear — to rip
  14. key — for a lock
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tear — from crying
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cabinet — ministers

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