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 116 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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bass — the fish
  5. object — a thing
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bass — low music
  9. object — to protest
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cap — a lid
  18. object — an aim
  19. cell — in biology
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fall — the season
  24. cap — a hat

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