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: bulb · hide · key · chair · ground · lean · firm · staff

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bulb — for light
  7. key — the most important part
  8. chair — a leader
  9. staff — employees
  10. key — in music
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. firm — steady
  16. lean — thin
  17. firm — decided
  18. ground — the earth
  19. firm — a company
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. bulb — for light

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