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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spell — letters
  6. rest — what's left
  7. track — a song
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rest — a break
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. ball — a great time
  14. fall — the season
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. stand — to bear
  19. track — a path
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mine — for digging
  23. spell — magic
  24. track — to keep track

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