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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. game — a match
  5. mug — a cup
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fall — to drop
  10. game — wild animals
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. mug — a face
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cell — a phone
  16. court — for sport
  17. stand — to bear
  18. snap — to click
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. mug — to rob
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cell — in biology

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