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: date · bat · cabinet · pass · rash · fan · roll · staff

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rash — a series
  4. staff — employees
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. date — the fruit
  20. staff — employees
  21. roll — a list
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. date — on the calendar

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