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: face · leaves · stick · staff · land · fan · squash · roll

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. squash — the sport
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. roll — a list
  8. staff — employees
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. squash — to crush
  11. land — a country
  12. face — part of the head
  13. land — ground
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. roll — a cake
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. face — to confront
  24. land — to come down

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