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: bulb · chip · can · staff · bank · key · net · field

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. net — after costs
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bulb — for light
  5. staff — a stick
  6. field — a subject
  7. bank — for money
  8. can — to be able to
  9. net — for catching
  10. field — farmland
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bank — for money
  16. chip — for betting
  17. key — in music
  18. staff — employees
  19. field — for sport
  20. net — in sport
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chip — in a computer

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