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 116 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. drill — army training
  4. season — in sport
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. vault — a safe
  11. face — part of the head
  12. season — of the year
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wind — moving air
  17. drill — the tool
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fall — the season
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wind — moving air
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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