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: key · present · staff · jam · chest · saw · rash · shower

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. chest — of your body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rash — a series
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. shower — to wash
  7. present — a gift
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. key — in music
  10. staff — employees
  11. present — there
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. present — the time now
  14. rash — hasty
  15. chest — of your body
  16. key — for a lock
  17. staff — employees
  18. shower — rain
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. chest — a box
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. staff — a stick
  24. saw — the tool

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