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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. charge — in control
  4. toast — bread
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. charge — electricity
  10. dip — to sink
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. chest — a box
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fall — to drop
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lie — to recline
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fall — the season
  24. charge — a price

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