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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. net — after costs
  10. rash — hasty
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. date — the fruit
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. snap — to click
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rash — a series
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. current — of water
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. date — on the calendar

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