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: staff · bat · rush · date · fall · bowl · prune · hide

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fall — to drop
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bat — the animal
  7. fall — the season
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rush — hurry
  12. staff — employees
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. staff — a stick

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