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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. last — final
  3. firm — a company
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wind — moving air
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. pass — a permit
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. last — to go on
  16. firm — decided
  17. last — finally
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fall — to drop
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. firm — steady
  24. rule — government

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