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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pop — music
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pass — a permit
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. deal — to handle
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. fall — the season

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