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 116 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: mark · last · pitcher · spring · dip · staff · lean · hand

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. staff — employees
  3. hand — in cards
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spring — a coil
  6. staff — employees
  7. last — final
  8. spring — of water
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. staff — a stick
  12. lean — thin
  13. spring — the season
  14. last — to go on
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. hand — help
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. dip — to sink

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