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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. swing — to play on
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rule — government
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rule — a law
  11. suit — in cards
  12. season — of the year
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. swing — in golf
  16. chip — for betting
  17. key — in music
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. season — in sport
  21. key — for a lock
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. swing — music
  24. fork — in a road

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