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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. drill — army training
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. spell — magic
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. game — wild animals
  18. drill — the tool
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. game — a match
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. drill — a practice
  23. root — of a word
  24. stand — to bear

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