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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. face — to confront
  3. rest — what's left
  4. face — part of the head
  5. board — to get on
  6. fall — to drop
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. squash — the sport
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bass — low music
  15. rest — a break
  16. key — in music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bass — the fish
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. key — for a lock
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fall — the season

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