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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. spell — letters
  3. lean — thin
  4. track — a song
  5. mate — a friend
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. staff — employees
  8. bat — the animal
  9. staff — a stick
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. track — a path
  12. mate — a partner
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — magic
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. lean — to bend
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. plane — a tool
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bat — in an idiom

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