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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. staff — employees
  4. saw — the tool
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. face — to confront
  8. staff — employees
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — the tool
  12. club — for golf
  13. hand — in cards
  14. face — to point toward
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. club — a group
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. prune — to trim
  24. staff — a stick

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