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: bat · staff · patient · lash · spell · rule · key · chair

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — letters
  7. bat — the animal
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. key — for a lock
  10. staff — employees
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. spell — magic
  15. rule — government
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. staff — a stick
  19. key — in music
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. staff — employees
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rule — a law
  24. spell — a short time

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