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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. court — of law
  3. face — to confront
  4. mine — for digging
  5. file — a document
  6. last — to go on
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. last — finally
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. charge — a price
  12. fall — the season
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fall — to drop
  15. charge — in control
  16. face — part of the head
  17. last — final
  18. charge — electricity
  19. court — of a king
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. court — for sport
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. file — a tool

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