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 116 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. rest — what's left
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. spring — the season
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rest — a break
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. craft — boats
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. staff — employees
  23. mark — a trace
  24. spring — of water

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