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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pit — a hole
  5. court — for sport
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. court — of law
  9. net — for catching
  10. bulb — for light
  11. court — of a king
  12. fall — to drop
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pit — in a race
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. row — a line
  21. face — part of the head
  22. net — after costs
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. net — in sport

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