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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bore — to tire
  3. swing — music
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. staff — employees
  6. land — ground
  7. last — to go on
  8. swing — to play on
  9. last — final
  10. chip — for betting
  11. land — to come down
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. scale — in music
  15. bore — to drill
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. land — a country
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. last — finally
  21. swing — in golf
  22. chip — to eat
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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