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: club · fan · last · trunk · patient · key · fine · stand

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fine — all right
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. last — finally
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. last — to go on
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fine — high quality
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. club — for golf
  23. last — final
  24. trunk — of a tree

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