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 water is too ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. suit — to fit
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pit — a hole
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cold — an illness
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. stand — to bear
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rule — government
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rule — a law
  24. stand — on your feet

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