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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mug — a cup
  14. race — a contest
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wind — moving air
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — humankind
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mug — a face
  24. stand — for spectators

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