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 · object · last · field · plane · key · track · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. field — for sport
  3. key — for a lock
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. field — a subject
  7. last — to go on
  8. game — wild animals
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. track — a path
  11. key — in music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. plane — a tool
  14. game — a match
  15. field — farmland
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. track — a song
  18. object — to protest
  19. last — finally
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. last — final
  22. key — the most important part
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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