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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. staff — employees
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fine — all right
  8. land — a country
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. land — ground
  12. bulb — for light
  13. firm — decided
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. firm — a company
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. staff — employees
  20. land — to come down
  21. firm — steady
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. staff — a stick

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