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 · mark · craft · land · saw · suit · board · stem

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. suit — in cards
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mark — a trace
  7. suit — clothes
  8. craft — boats
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. land — a country
  11. suit — to fit
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. board — to get on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. land — to come down
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mark — a grade
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. key — in music
  24. land — ground

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