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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. staff — employees
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. squash — the sport
  7. staff — employees
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rock — music
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. spell — magic
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cell — in biology
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rock — a stone
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rock — to move gently

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