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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pound — a weight
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. fall — to drop
  8. date — the fruit
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fall — the season
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. snap — to click
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. game — a match
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bear — the animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. game — a kind of play

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