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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · chest · row · staff · pass · fork

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. chest — a box
  3. staff — employees
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. present — there
  7. staff — a stick
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. fork — in a road
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pass — a permit
  18. row — to paddle

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