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: staff · present · spell · lash · fan · stick · hide · fall

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fall — the season
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. staff — a stick
  10. present — the time now
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. spell — magic
  16. present — there
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. present — a gift
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. spell — letters
  24. fan — to cool the air

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