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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bat — the animal
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. staff — a stick
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bank — for money
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. staff — employees
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fall — the season
  20. bank — for money
  21. staff — employees
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. lash — an eyelash

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