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: hand · rest · ground · fan · stem · toast · deal · key

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rest — a break
  3. key — for a lock
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ground — the earth
  9. toast — bread
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stem — to come from
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hand — in cards
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ground — crushed
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. hand — help
  24. deal — to handle

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