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: key · sharp · ground · board · hand · mug · branch · object

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. key — in music
  3. mug — a face
  4. key — for a lock
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. ground — the earth
  9. board — a committee
  10. object — a thing
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. object — to protest
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mug — a cup
  17. ground — crushed
  18. hand — in cards
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mug — to rob
  21. object — an aim
  22. hand — help
  23. board — to get on
  24. ground — a position

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