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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. root — the cause
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rock — music
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rock — a stone
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rash — a series
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. staff — employees
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. patient — a sick person

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