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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. chest — a box
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. root — of a word
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. firm — a company
  8. pop — music
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pop — to visit
  11. root — the cause
  12. firm — steady
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. squash — the sport
  16. root — of a plant
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. chest — of your body
  19. staff — a stick
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. staff — employees
  22. firm — decided
  23. pop — soda
  24. squash — to crush

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