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: chair · bay · staff · stem · bore · spell · key · object

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bore — to tire
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. object — a thing
  8. key — in music
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bore — to drill
  12. staff — a stick
  13. object — to protest
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. staff — employees
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. staff — employees
  20. object — an aim
  21. spell — a short time
  22. chair — a leader
  23. key — the most important part
  24. spell — magic

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