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: track · mine · suit · file · land · key · firm · pitch

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. firm — steady
  8. track — a song
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. land — a country
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. mine — for digging
  17. firm — decided
  18. track — a path
  19. file — a document
  20. firm — a company
  21. key — in music
  22. file — a line of people
  23. track — to keep track
  24. file — a tool

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