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 120 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's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fall — the season
  3. staff — employees
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. ground — the earth
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ground — a position
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fall — to drop
  12. staff — a stick
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. march — the month
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. march — the month
  19. ground — crushed
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. march — music
  24. chair — a professorship

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