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: bay · wind · staff · key · drill · spring · tube · club

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. drill — a practice
  4. staff — employees
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. drill — the tool
  7. key — for a lock
  8. drill — army training
  9. spring — the season
  10. club — for golf
  11. staff — a stick
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — of water
  16. key — in music
  17. wind — moving air
  18. spring — a coil
  19. club — a group
  20. tube — a container
  21. wind — moving air
  22. club — for dancing
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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