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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. staff — employees
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bulb — for light
  10. toast — bread
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. snap — to click
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. staff — employees
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bat — the animal
  24. cold — not warm

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