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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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. key — for a lock
  4. object — a thing
  5. staff — employees
  6. object — an aim
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. prune — to trim
  9. key — in music
  10. cell — in biology
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. object — to protest
  21. cell — a phone
  22. staff — a stick
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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