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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pit — a hole
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cold — not warm
  22. lean — thin
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lean — to bend

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