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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. snap — to click
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. capital — money
  8. march — music
  9. charge — a price
  10. march — the month
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fall — the season
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. march — the month
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. charge — electricity
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. capital — a city
  20. fall — to drop
  21. kick — in football
  22. charge — in control
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. kick — a thrill

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