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 124 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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. pit — in a race
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. snap — to click
  9. staff — employees
  10. court — for sport
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. pit — a hole
  15. date — the fruit
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in a prison

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