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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. staff — employees
  4. fall — to drop
  5. kick — in football
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. net — in sport
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. staff — employees
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. net — after costs
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. net — for catching
  18. staff — a stick

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