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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. file — a document
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. last — finally
  9. pop — to visit
  10. last — to go on
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pop — soda
  18. suit — to fit
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pop — music
  23. last — final
  24. lash — an eyelash

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