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: arm · stock · press · staff · mark · season · key · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. staff — employees
  5. season — in sport
  6. mark — a grade
  7. press — newspapers
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stock — goods
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. press — a publisher
  12. staff — employees
  13. file — a line of people
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. key — in music
  17. mark — a trace
  18. staff — a stick
  19. press — to push
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. file — a document
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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