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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. spell — a short time
  3. board — a committee
  4. march — the month
  5. bass — low music
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. branch — a division
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. key — in music
  16. board — to get on
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. spell — magic
  20. chip — to eat
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. spell — letters
  24. board — a flat piece

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