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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. firm — steady
  7. bank — of a river
  8. spring — a coil
  9. key — in music
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. spring — of water
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — decided
  15. spring — the season
  16. field — farmland
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. sharp — clever
  20. firm — a company
  21. bank — for money
  22. key — for a lock
  23. field — for sport
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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