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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. suit — clothes
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mug — a face
  16. suit — to fit
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fall — the season
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mug — to rob
  21. cell — in biology
  22. tear — to rip
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fan — a supporter

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