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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fall — to drop
  6. charge — a price
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rash — a series
  10. charge — in control
  11. fall — the season
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bass — the fish
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pass — a permit
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bass — low music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chair — to sit on

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