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 · roll · face · rest · season · cue · craft · field

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. season — of the year
  3. field — a subject
  4. key — in music
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rest — a break
  7. face — to point toward
  8. field — for sport
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. field — farmland
  11. cue — a signal
  12. roll — a cake
  13. craft — boats
  14. face — part of the head
  15. key — the most important part
  16. face — to confront
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rest — what's left
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. roll — a list
  21. craft — a skill
  22. season — in sport
  23. rest — what's left
  24. craft — a handicraft

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