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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bass — low music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fall — the season
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rash — hasty

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