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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. staff — employees
  3. land — a country
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. sharp — clever
  7. kid — to tease
  8. staff — employees
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. staff — a stick
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. track — a song
  19. object — a thing
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. kid — child
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. land — ground
  24. coach — a trainer

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