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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. object — to protest
  4. race — humankind
  5. object — a thing
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wind — moving air
  8. object — an aim
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. race — the arms race
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. race — a contest
  16. staff — employees
  17. wind — moving air
  18. kick — in football
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. staff — a stick
  23. lean — thin
  24. snap — to click

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