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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. court — of a king
  4. fall — the season
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. track — a path
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bore — to drill
  18. court — for sport
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. track — a song
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bound — certain
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. court — of law

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