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: hide · rash · field · spell · key · cue · ruler · vault

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. spell — magic
  3. field — farmland
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spell — a short time
  6. key — in music
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rash — hasty
  9. spell — letters
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. field — a subject
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cue — for pool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cue — a signal
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rash — a series
  20. field — for sport
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cue — a hint
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. ruler — for measuring

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