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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. staff — employees
  5. season — of the year
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rash — a series
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. season — in sport
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rush — hurry
  17. chip — to eat
  18. date — the fruit
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bear — the animal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. chip — for betting

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