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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. kid — child
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. season — of the year
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. cap — of ice
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fall — to drop
  9. kid — to tease
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fall — the season
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. season — in sport
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. cap — a lid
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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