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 116 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: key · stem · chair · wind · club · game · wake · mouse

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. club — for golf
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. club — a group
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. game — wild animals
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. key — in music
  17. club — for dancing
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wind — moving air
  20. chair — a leader
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wind — to turn a key

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