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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. row — to paddle
  4. kick — in football
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. present — there
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. row — a line
  12. wind — moving air
  13. staff — a stick
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. present — the time now
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. present — a gift

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