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: game · fan · track · patient · key · land · capital · vault

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. track — to keep track
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. land — ground
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. track — a path
  8. capital — a city
  9. game — wild animals
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. land — a country
  15. track — a song
  16. key — in music
  17. game — a match
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. vault — a safe
  20. land — to come down
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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