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 120 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: staff · bat · hide · lie · spell · wake · charge · current

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. current — electric
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bat — the animal
  5. staff — employees
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spell — magic
  9. current — happening now
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. staff — employees
  13. charge — a price
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. staff — a stick
  16. charge — electricity
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. charge — in control
  23. lie — to recline
  24. current — of water

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