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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. vault — a safe
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. face — to point toward
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. object — to protest
  9. face — to confront
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fall — to drop
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. object — a thing
  14. pound — a weight
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fall — the season
  17. object — an aim
  18. clip — for paper
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. clip — to cut
  21. swing — in golf
  22. face — part of the head
  23. clip — a video
  24. pound — to hit hard

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