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: key · stock · snap · mug · chest · squash · file · patient

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. mug — to rob
  4. chest — of your body
  5. squash — to crush
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chest — of your body
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. snap — to click
  12. file — a line of people
  13. key — for a lock
  14. file — a document
  15. stock — shares
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. chest — a box
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mug — a face
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stock — goods
  24. file — a 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