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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. staff — employees
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fall — to drop
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. tube — a container
  10. chest — of your body
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. staff — employees
  15. suit — in cards
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. staff — a stick
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. tube — the underground
  21. lean — thin
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. lean — to bend
  24. hide — to keep secret

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