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: tube · board · tear · staff · lean · ball · fall · straw

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tube — the underground
  5. staff — employees
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. lean — thin
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. fall — to drop
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ball — a dance
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. tube — a container
  19. staff — a stick
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lean — to bend
  23. ball — a great time
  24. staff — employees

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