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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fine — all right
  3. mug — a face
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rest — a break
  13. mug — a cup
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. staff — employees
  18. rest — what's left
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cold — an illness
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mug — to rob

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