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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. last — to go on
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. last — finally
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fall — the season
  9. foot — a measure
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. game — wild animals
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. last — final
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fall — to drop
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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