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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. fall — the season
  3. mate — a friend
  4. stand — to bear
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. saw — the tool
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mate — a partner
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fall — to drop
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fall — to drop

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