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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rash — hasty
  3. drill — army training
  4. rash — a series
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. drill — the tool
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fall — the season
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pitch — completely
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mine — for digging
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stem — to come from
  24. leaves — lets stay

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