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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mate — a partner
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. staff — employees
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. object — an aim
  8. rash — a series
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mate — a friend
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mate — to breed
  15. fork — in a road
  16. object — a thing
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. staff — a stick
  19. hand — help
  20. object — to protest
  21. staff — employees
  22. scale — in music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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