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: fan · key · tear · chair · lie · saw · straw · leaves

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. chair — a leader
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tear — from crying
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. tear — to rip
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lie — to recline
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. leaves — to go away

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