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: fork · bulb · face · lean · straw · hand · mate · staff

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. face — to point toward
  4. hand — help
  5. mate — a partner
  6. face — to confront
  7. mate — a friend
  8. face — part of the head
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fork — in a road
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. staff — employees
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lean — thin
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mate — to breed
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. staff — employees

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