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: track · key · chip · bear · game · patient · can · mine

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. chip — to eat
  3. can — a tin
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. can — a tin
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. key — in music
  15. mine — for digging
  16. game — a match
  17. chip — for betting
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. bear — the animal
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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