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: cabinet · chip · staff · wake · pound · court · key · mine

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. court — for sport
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mine — for digging
  11. chip — for betting
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. staff — employees
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. court — of law
  16. key — the most important part
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. key — in music
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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