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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. land — to come down
  3. last — to go on
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. fall — the season
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. suit — in cards
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. scale — in music
  17. land — a country
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. scale — size or range
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. land — ground

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