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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. roll — a cake
  6. staff — employees
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bulb — for light
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. roll — a list
  11. game — a match
  12. fall — to drop
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. staff — employees
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. hand — help
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. staff — a stick
  24. hand — in cards

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