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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. spring — the season
  3. staff — a stick
  4. spring — of water
  5. lean — to bend
  6. staff — employees
  7. rest — a break
  8. lean — thin
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rest — what's left
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spring — a coil
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. staff — employees

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