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 · straw · staff · stick · cabinet · bulb · ruler · wake

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wake — a trail
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. staff — a stick
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. key — in music
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. staff — employees
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. staff — employees
  24. bulb — for light

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