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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rest — what's left
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rest — what's left
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rest — a break
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cue — for pool
  20. staff — employees
  21. pit — a hole
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. toast — bread
  24. wax — to grow

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