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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fall — to drop
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spell — letters
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spell — magic
  19. pit — in a race
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. charge — electricity
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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