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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. key — the most important part
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. stem — to come from
  6. object — a thing
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. key — in music
  9. fork — in a road
  10. object — an aim
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. capital — a city
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. object — to protest
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mine — for digging
  23. key — for a lock
  24. hand — help

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