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: wave · rash · lie · staff · rest · firm · rush · field

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. firm — steady
  3. staff — employees
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. field — for sport
  6. staff — employees
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. field — a subject
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rash — a series
  11. rest — what's left
  12. firm — a company
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. staff — a stick
  16. field — farmland
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rest — a break
  23. firm — decided
  24. rest — what's left

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