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

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. staff — employees
  6. present — there
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fall — the season
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. present — a gift
  12. race — humankind
  13. wake — a trail
  14. present — the time now
  15. race — a contest
  16. spring — of water
  17. bore — to tire
  18. spring — the season
  19. race — the arms race
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bore — to drill

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