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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. staff — employees
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. row — a line
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. staff — employees
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. row — to paddle
  17. deal — to handle
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rush — hurry
  20. face — to point toward
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. leaves — of a tree

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