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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. staff — employees
  5. firm — decided
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. firm — steady
  11. staff — employees
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. firm — a company
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. tear — from crying
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. staff — a stick
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bat — the animal
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bat — in an idiom

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