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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. fall — the season
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rash — hasty
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. swing — music
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rash — a series
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bulb — of a plant

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