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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fall — to drop
  4. charge — a price
  5. race — a contest
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. charge — electricity
  9. race — the arms race
  10. charge — in control
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. swing — in golf
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rash — a series
  16. lean — thin
  17. race — humankind
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fall — the season
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. swing — music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rash — on the skin

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