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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · bank · chair · key · rule · staff

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. staff — a stick
  3. key — for a lock
  4. staff — employees
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bank — for money
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. staff — employees
  14. rule — government
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bank — for money

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