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 116 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. firm — decided
  6. object — a thing
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. object — an aim
  9. net — after costs
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fork — in a road
  13. staff — employees
  14. net — in sport
  15. wound — an injury
  16. staff — a stick
  17. net — for catching
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rule — government
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. object — to protest

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