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: saw · chair · fine · game · hide · stem · key · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. stem — to come from
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chair — a leader
  5. key — in music
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. key — for a lock
  10. game — wild animals
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fine — high quality
  16. game — a match
  17. key — the most important part
  18. saw — the tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fine — all right
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. file — a document
  24. hide — to keep secret

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