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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fall — the season
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pass — a permit
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bear — the animal
  24. branch — a division

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