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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fall — the season
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rest — a break
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pass — a permit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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