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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. key — in music
  3. hand — help
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. key — for a lock
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. key — the most important part
  8. last — to go on
  9. mate — a friend
  10. last — final
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. staff — employees
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mate — to breed
  21. last — finally
  22. staff — employees
  23. bark — to shout
  24. leaves — of a tree

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