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: leaves · fan · pass · firm · staff · snap · last · bulb

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — a company
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pass — a permit
  8. firm — steady
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. snap — to click
  11. staff — employees
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. last — final
  14. bulb — for light
  15. last — to go on
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bulb — for light
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. last — finally
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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