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 · fine · straw · band · stem · ground · firm · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. firm — a company
  9. band — a ring
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rest — a break
  14. fine — all right
  15. key — the most important part
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. band — a music group
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rest — what's left
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. key — in music
  24. ground — a position

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