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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rest — a break
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. staff — employees
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. staff — employees
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rest — what's left
  23. staff — a stick
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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