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: trunk · bass · field · foot · track · lie · cue · key

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bass — low music
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. cue — for pool
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. field — a subject
  13. bass — the fish
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. foot — a measure
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. track — a song
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. key — the most important part
  24. field — for sport

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