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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. last — final
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. staff — employees
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rest — a break
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. staff — a stick
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. last — to go on
  20. row — a line
  21. staff — employees
  22. last — finally
  23. rash — a series
  24. rest — what's left

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