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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wake — a trail
  4. staff — employees
  5. bass — low music
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. present — the time now
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mate — a friend
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mate — to breed
  16. present — a gift
  17. staff — employees
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bass — the fish
  22. present — there
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. wake — before a funeral

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