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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. file — a tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. field — a subject
  9. file — a document
  10. field — for sport
  11. wind — moving air
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. field — farmland
  14. ground — the earth
  15. file — a line of people
  16. key — the most important part
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ground — a position
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. key — in music
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wind — to turn a key

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