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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bat — the animal
  4. staff — a stick
  5. land — ground
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. land — to come down
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mine — for digging
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. staff — employees
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. suit — in cards
  24. land — a country

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