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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. spring — the season
  3. staff — employees
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. firm — decided
  7. ground — a position
  8. staff — a stick
  9. press — to push
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. spring — of water
  12. date — the fruit
  13. board — a committee
  14. firm — steady
  15. press — a publisher
  16. spring — a coil
  17. kid — child
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. board — to get on
  21. press — newspapers
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. kid — to tease
  24. firm — a company

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