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: present · lean · cap · game · rule · staff · deal · row

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rule — government
  3. row — to paddle
  4. present — a gift
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rule — a law
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. staff — employees
  10. lean — thin
  11. staff — a stick
  12. present — there
  13. deal — to handle
  14. cap — of ice
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. present — the time now
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. row — a line
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cap — a lid

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