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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mate — a partner
  3. staff — employees
  4. mate — a friend
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mate — to breed
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. capital — a city
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wind — moving air
  18. staff — a stick
  19. wind — moving air
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. staff — employees
  24. fan — a supporter

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