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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stock — goods
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. key — for a lock
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wound — an injury
  18. key — in music
  19. field — a subject
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bound — tied together
  22. field — for sport
  23. deal — to handle
  24. field — farmland

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