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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. stock — shares
  4. rash — a series
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. key — for a lock
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. spring — the season
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rash — hasty
  15. band — a ring
  16. spring — of water
  17. band — a music group
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bark — to shout
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stock — goods
  24. bore — to tire

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