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: spring · net · track · saw · chair · root · last · key

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. root — of a word
  4. last — finally
  5. spring — the season
  6. last — final
  7. root — the cause
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. key — the most important part
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. key — for a lock
  12. track — a path
  13. net — after costs
  14. spring — of water
  15. root — of a plant
  16. net — for catching
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chair — a leader
  19. saw — the tool
  20. track — to keep track
  21. key — in music
  22. net — in sport
  23. last — to go on
  24. spring — a coil

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