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

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. firm — steady
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. season — of the year
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fall — the season
  14. firm — a company
  15. season — in sport
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bound — certain
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bound — tied together
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. firm — decided

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