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 120 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. clip — for paper
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. staff — employees
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rest — what's left
  17. sharp — clever
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mug — to rob
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. clip — a video
  23. staff — a stick
  24. dip — to sink

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