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: chest · rule · hide · spring · key · craft · stand · fork

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. key — the most important part
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rule — government
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. craft — a skill
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fork — in a road
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rule — a law
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. key — in music
  17. craft — boats
  18. key — for a lock
  19. spring — the season
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. spring — of water
  22. chest — a box
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. chest — of your body

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