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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. toast — bread
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. kid — child
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fall — to drop
  12. face — to point toward
  13. kid — to tease
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pit — in a race
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. face — part of the head
  20. current — of water
  21. rule — government
  22. current — happening now
  23. fall — the season
  24. current — electric

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