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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · fall · lean · club · rash · dip · cold · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. club — a group
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. club — for golf
  10. capital — money
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lean — thin
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rash — a series
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. capital — a city
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. fall — to drop

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