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: roll · lean · pop · fall · bear · staff · ruler · rash

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rash — hasty
  3. lean — to bend
  4. roll — a list
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. pop — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. lean — thin
  11. rash — a series
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pop — soda
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. roll — a cake
  24. ruler — a monarch

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