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 116 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. spell — letters
  3. stand — to bear
  4. club — for golf
  5. season — in sport
  6. bound — tied together
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. spell — magic
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. season — of the year
  15. staff — employees
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. staff — employees
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. spell — a short time
  23. craft — boats
  24. club — a group

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