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: season · stock · hand · key · safe · swing · last · drill

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. stock — shares
  2. drill — army training
  3. last — finally
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. hand — in cards
  6. drill — a practice
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stock — goods
  12. hand — help
  13. season — in sport
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. key — in music
  17. season — of the year
  18. last — final
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. drill — the tool
  21. swing — in golf
  22. last — to go on
  23. key — for a lock
  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