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: nail · bear · staff · trunk · saw · key · stick · date

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. saw — the tool
  3. staff — employees
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. key — the most important part
  8. saw — the tool
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. date — the fruit
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. key — for a lock
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. key — in music
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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