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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pound — a weight
  6. game — a match
  7. perch — the fish
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. staff — employees
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. game — wild animals
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. game — a kind of play

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