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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. saw — the tool
  3. court — of law
  4. object — to protest
  5. staff — employees
  6. track — a path
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. object — an aim
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. staff — a stick
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. court — of a king
  15. object — a thing
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. track — a song
  18. lean — to bend
  19. court — for sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — thin
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sports field

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