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: straw · lie · branch · dip · fan · staff · last · key

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. staff — employees
  2. last — to go on
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. dip — to sink
  7. last — finally
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lie — to recline
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. key — for a lock
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. branch — a division
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. last — final
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. staff — a stick
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. branch — of a bank
  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