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 120 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: last · staff · field · key · hand · rash · chip · object

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. field — for sport
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. field — farmland
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. chip — for betting
  8. field — a subject
  9. staff — employees
  10. key — the most important part
  11. last — final
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. key — for a lock
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. rash — hasty
  18. key — in music
  19. hand — help
  20. rash — a series
  21. hand — in cards
  22. staff — a stick
  23. chip — to eat
  24. object — to protest

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