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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. staff — employees
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. last — finally
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pit — a hole
  8. last — to go on
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mug — to rob
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fall — the season
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. fall — to drop
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. last — final
  22. mug — a face
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mug — a cup

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