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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — bread
  4. rule — government
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lean — to bend
  11. kid — to tease
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rule — a law
  15. bore — to drill
  16. staff — employees
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. lean — thin
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. kid — child
  24. cabinet — ministers

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