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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pass — a permit
  3. land — a country
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bank — for money
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cue — for pool
  10. face — to point toward
  11. land — to come down
  12. bank — for money
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wound — an injury
  17. face — part of the head
  18. season — in sport
  19. land — ground
  20. wound — an injury
  21. face — to confront
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. season — of the year

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