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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. spell — magic
  7. lean — thin
  8. mug — a face
  9. stand — to bear
  10. spell — letters
  11. squash — to crush
  12. spell — a short time
  13. prune — to trim
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. net — for catching
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lean — to rest against

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