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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. press — newspapers
  6. stock — shares
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. hand — in cards
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. press — to push
  12. hand — help
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rash — a series
  17. stock — goods
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. press — a publisher
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. wave — with your hand

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