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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. staff — a stick
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. staff — employees
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. dip — to sink
  11. net — for catching
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — to paddle
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. last — to go on
  19. ball — a dance
  20. row — a line
  21. pop — soda
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. ball — a round shape

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