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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. drill — a practice
  3. date — the fruit
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. drill — army training
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. drill — the tool
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. press — a publisher
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. press — newspapers
  16. wake — a trail
  17. band — a ring
  18. press — to push
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. lie — to recline
  22. staff — employees
  23. lean — thin
  24. band — a music 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