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: hand · swing · toast · mate · staff · fall · fine · root

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fall — to drop
  3. toast — bread
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. root — of a plant
  6. mate — a friend
  7. swing — to play on
  8. fine — all right
  9. mate — to breed
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. swing — in golf
  12. fall — to drop
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. staff — employees
  15. hand — in cards
  16. staff — employees
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. fall — the season
  22. mate — a partner
  23. swing — music
  24. fine — high quality

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