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 · deal · rest · bat · board · lean · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. board — to get on
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. track — to keep track
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. track — a song
  7. deal — to handle
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bat — the animal
  11. track — a path
  12. lean — thin
  13. board — a committee
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lean — to bend
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rest — what's left
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rest — a break
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. key — the most important part
  24. deal — an agreement

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