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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pitch — completely
  5. spring — of water
  6. staff — employees
  7. charge — in control
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pass — a permit
  10. charge — electricity
  11. spring — the season
  12. charge — a price
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. spring — a coil
  16. rush — hurry
  17. staff — employees
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. staff — a stick
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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