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: band · pass · mine · key · straw · foot · wake · fork

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wake — a trail
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. key — for a lock
  9. band — a ring
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. key — in music
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fork — in a road

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