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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. club — for golf
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. net — after costs
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. club — a group
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mate — a friend
  12. net — for catching
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rest — a break
  15. mate — to breed
  16. net — in sport
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. staff — employees
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. club — for dancing

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