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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bound — certain
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. prune — to trim
  7. can — a tin
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. bound — obliged
  11. staff — employees
  12. dip — to sink
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. snap — to click
  15. bound — tied together
  16. prune — to trim
  17. can — a tin
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. staff — a stick
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. can — to be able to

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