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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wax — to grow
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cell — in biology
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cell — a phone
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. squash — to crush
  23. staff — employees
  24. temple — a place of worship

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