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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. staff — employees
  6. land — a country
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bat — the animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. land — to come down
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. staff — employees
  15. land — ground
  16. last — to go on
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. lean — to bend
  24. last — final

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