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 116 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. staff — employees
  3. kick — in football
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. staff — employees
  7. game — wild animals
  8. file — a line of people
  9. game — a match
  10. file — a tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wind — moving air
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. file — a document
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. deal — to handle
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wind — moving air
  24. staff — a stick

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