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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stand — to bear
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. file — a tool
  8. rush — hurry
  9. fall — the season
  10. board — to get on
  11. spell — letters
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. board — a committee
  20. file — a document
  21. ball — a great time
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. file — a line of people

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