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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. chair — a leader
  7. club — a group
  8. spell — letters
  9. drill — army training
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fall — the season
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. drill — a practice
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. club — for golf
  19. drill — the tool
  20. spell — a short time
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. club — for dancing
  23. spell — magic
  24. wake — before a funeral

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