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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fall — the season
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. key — in music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. tube — a container
  9. rush — hurry
  10. key — for a lock
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. fall — to drop
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lie — to recline
  18. chair — a leader
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. key — the most important part
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. rush — to hurry

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