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: land · spell · roll · squash · staff · fine · rest · trunk

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fine — high quality
  3. land — to come down
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. squash — the sport
  6. land — a country
  7. staff — employees
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rest — a break
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spell — a short time
  13. squash — to crush
  14. staff — a stick
  15. land — ground
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. spell — letters
  21. fine — all right
  22. roll — a list
  23. spell — magic
  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