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: lash · stick · rush · spell · sharp · staff · lean · degree

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. spell — a short time
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. degree — from a university
  11. lean — to bend
  12. degree — an amount
  13. spell — magic
  14. degree — temperature
  15. spell — letters
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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