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 120 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stand — to bear
  3. content — the amount
  4. court — of a king
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. tear — from crying
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. fall — to drop
  9. court — for sport
  10. ground — a position
  11. content — happy
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fall — the season
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. court — of law
  20. tear — to rip
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mine — for digging
  24. temple — a place of worship

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