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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. face — to point toward
  3. swing — music
  4. mate — a friend
  5. cap — a lid
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fall — the season
  8. rock — music
  9. spell — magic
  10. swing — to play on
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cap — of ice
  16. face — to confront
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. spell — letters
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. face — part of the head

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