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: fall · dip · rash · bear · staff · lean · present · season

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. staff — employees
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. present — there
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lean — to bend
  10. staff — a stick
  11. present — the time now
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. staff — employees
  14. fall — to drop
  15. dip — to sink
  16. season — in sport
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. season — of the year
  20. present — a gift
  21. rash — a series
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bear — the animal

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