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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fall — to drop
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fall — to drop
  6. squash — to crush
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. cold — not warm
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pit — in a race
  18. face — to confront
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. fall — the season
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. face — to point toward
  24. cold — an illness

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