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 120 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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. suit — in cards
  3. board — a committee
  4. suit — to fit
  5. key — for a lock
  6. staff — a stick
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. key — the most important part
  10. tear — from crying
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. board — to get on
  16. tear — to rip
  17. staff — employees
  18. fork — in a road
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. key — in music
  23. suit — clothes
  24. squash — to crush

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