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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. firm — a company
  4. key — for a lock
  5. club — for dancing
  6. key — the most important part
  7. firm — steady
  8. pitch — completely
  9. key — in music
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. season — in sport
  21. hand — in cards
  22. firm — decided
  23. hand — help
  24. season — to add flavour

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