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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lie — to recline
  8. season — of the year
  9. squash — the sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bat — the animal
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. season — in sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. staff — employees
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — to add flavour

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