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: kick · spell · staff · rest · mate · prune · chest · lie

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. staff — employees
  3. chest — of your body
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. chest — of your body
  8. spell — letters
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. prune — to trim
  13. spell — magic
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. kick — in football
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mate — a partner
  20. chest — a box
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. staff — employees
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rest — what's left

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