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: staff · rush · stand · rash · wake · bound · key · bat

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. staff — employees
  8. wake — a trail
  9. key — in music
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rash — a series
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bound — certain
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. stand — to bear

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