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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rash — a series
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mark — a trace
  7. object — a thing
  8. stand — to bear
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. spell — magic
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. spell — letters
  14. rash — hasty
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fall — to drop
  21. spell — a short time
  22. object — to protest
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. object — an aim

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