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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. suit — to fit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. staff — employees
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. present — a gift
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fine — high quality
  11. present — there
  12. suit — in cards
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. present — the time now
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. suit — clothes
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fine — all right
  21. scale — in music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ball — a great time
  24. staff — employees

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