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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. staff — employees
  7. hand — in cards
  8. chip — to eat
  9. staff — a stick
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bulb — for light
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rash — a series
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. tear — from crying
  21. hand — help
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. chip — for betting

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