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: track · bear · wind · saw · bowl · key · staff · game

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wind — moving air
  4. key — in music
  5. staff — employees
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. saw — the tool
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. game — wild animals
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bear — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. track — a path
  18. game — a match
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wind — moving air
  22. staff — employees
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. game — a kind of play

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