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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rush — hurry
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bat — the animal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fall — the season

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