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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. face — to confront
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stand — to bear
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. prune — to trim

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