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: staff · tube · key · stock · march · wake · cap · face

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. tube — a container
  3. march — the month
  4. wake — a trail
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stock — goods
  8. march — the month
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. staff — employees
  11. face — to confront
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. tube — the underground
  14. march — music
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cap — of ice
  17. key — for a lock
  18. staff — employees
  19. stock — shares
  20. key — in music
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. staff — a stick

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