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 116 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rash — hasty
  3. charge — in control
  4. content — happy
  5. charge — a price
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rash — a series
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. fall — the season
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. content — the amount

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