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: kick · club · mark · key · file · net · fan · season

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. key — in music
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mark — a grade
  9. season — in sport
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. file — a tool
  14. key — the most important part
  15. season — of the year
  16. club — a group
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. club — for golf
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mark — a trace
  21. file — a document
  22. kick — in football
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. net — in sport

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