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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. staff — employees
  3. fall — the season
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cell — in biology
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. game — a match
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. cell — a phone

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