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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fall — to drop
  11. swing — in golf
  12. prune — to trim
  13. swing — music
  14. fall — to drop
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fall — the season
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cell — in biology

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