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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. can — to be able to
  4. tube — the underground
  5. fine — all right
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. object — an aim
  8. can — a tin
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. tube — a container
  14. saw — the tool
  15. object — to protest
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. bound — obliged
  19. can — a tin
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bound — certain
  22. object — a thing
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bound — tied together

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