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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. march — music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. capital — money
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rule — a law
  9. march — the month
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stand — to bear
  13. prune — to trim
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fall — the season
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. ball — a dance
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rule — government
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. march — the month
  24. capital — a city

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